All's Fair in Love and War
by luvnote4u
Summary: A conspiracy threatens the Underground and it is unclear who's on what side. The lines of infatuation and true love are blurred for Sarah as she comes to find: all's fair in love and war. Love triangle:JxSxOC
1. Prologue

**All's Fair in Love and War**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Labyrinth. That belongs to Jim Henson Company (lucky duck). No copyright infringement intended.

**Prologue The Dream**

The world was crumbling all around her. And she was in the middle of it all. Before her, stood a man, his expression cruel and impatient. He held before her a sphere. His words hummed in her ear like a cat purring… but it was coated with anxiety. What was he saying?

"Fear me. Love me. Do as I say and I will be your _slave_."

The offer was tempting. How easily she could have given in. Staring into his haunting eyes, she almost found herself surrendering to his will. But she couldn't. She had to save Toby.

How did that story end? Through dangers untold… check. And hardships unnumbered… check, check. She fought her way to the castle beyond the Goblin City. Check. She was trying to save the child that was stolen. Her will was as strong as his. Her kingdom was as great (whatever her kingdom was…). But how did that damn ending go? The girl searched for the words that had evaded her memory. Her eyes widened as they came crashing out of her mouth.

"You have no power over me!"

**Author** **Note**: Hola lovelies! I know that it's not much but that is the first installment of my Labyrinth fanfic. I promise it gets better. Just be patient please. Don't abandon me so soon. This is my first fanfic so if it sucks please don't be too harsh.

**Jareth**: Ha! It shows.

**Moi**: glares at Mr. Too-Tight-Pants It's only the prologue. Would it kill you to be nice?

**Jareth**: Yes

**Moi**: Fine. Be a jerk. No wonder Sarah rejected you.

**Mr. Too-Tight-Pants**: You had to bring- HEY! Put my name back the way it was!

**Moi**: Whatever do you mean, Mr. Sparkly Lip-gloss? (bats eyes innocently)

**Mr. Too-Tight-Pants**: You know exactly what I mean.

**Moi**: Maybe if you're nicer when the next installment comes out. But for now, I don't think so. (grins wickedly)

**Mr. Too-Tight-Pants: **No, you will change me back this instant or so help me I will drop you in an oubliette and leave you there forever!

**Moi**: YIKES! (to the reader) Leave lots of words of encouragement please. I gotta go. (runs away)

**Mr. Too-Tight-Pants:** (chases) Oh no you don't! Come back here!


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Labyrinth. I do, however, own a clock that doesn't work and a broken pair of iPod headphones. No copyright infringement intended.

**Chapter 1 Awakening**

Sarah awoke with a start. It was that dream again. No. Not a dream. A nightmare. The same nightmare that plagued her dreams for the past year.

It had been exactly one year since that awful ordeal that she _wished_ she could say was only a dream. Exactly one year ago, she nearly lost her baby brother. She shuddered at the memory.

Since that fateful night, Sarah never complained about watching little Toby while her father and her stepmother went out. She even volunteered. The idea of anyone else watching Toby terrified her. What if she lost him again?

That's not to say she didn't make plans for herself. She had to. She had to make herself forget that horrible man whom she loathed from the deepest depths of her heart. No, he was not a man. Anyone who could be so atrocious, so sadistic, did not deserve such a title. He was a monster. The Goblin King. _Jareth_.

It was her encounter with him, more than anything else, that lead to several changes in her. For one (and probably the most insignificant), peaches, once her favorite fruit, were now a source of revulsion, nausea, and even fear. Then of course, was her volunteering to babysit Toby (which surprised her parents greatly). But what surprised them most was her sudden maturity. No longer did she complain that this wasn't fair and that wasn't fair. She merely took a situation for what it was and dealt with it (most of the time).

Sarah gazed around her moonlit room. Even in the gloom she could see the changes there too. Once a room filled with toys and clutter, now there was very little to be seen. Most of her toys she gave to Toby to play with. She donated most of her costumes to thrift stores, charities, and the local playhouse. She sold the rest of her knick-knacks at the garage sale her parents had a few weeks after the Toby incident. Save for a few things.

The porcelain doll that spun and played music was still on her dresser. She wanted more than anything to give that away, particularly. She remembered all too well the feel of Jareth's hands on her waist as they danced. The very memory of it made her skin crawl. But that doll was a gift from her mother. As much as she wanted to, she was afraid she'd hurt her mother's feelings if she gave that away.

In the corner of the room were three stuffed animals that looked an awful lot like the friends Sarah had made in the labyrinth: Hoggle, Ludo, and Didymus. She missed them sorely. She called them many times since her venture into the labyrinth; but they had never reappeared. It was when she thought of them that she wondered if it had all just been some fantastic dream. But it had to have been real. Never had her nightmares come close to the real memory.

The only other things she kept were her childhood books. One in particular. A small, red, leather-bound book lay on her nightstand next to her bed. _The Labyrinth._ She never picked it up to read anymore. She rarely even looked at it. But she kept it as a reminder, a reminder of the words that had saved her and Toby last year: _'You have no power over me.'_

The words hung in the air as if Sarah had said them out loud. Sarah would never again forget those words, not so long as she lived. They had saved her life. They had saved Toby's life. Saved them both from Jareth's hands.

_Jareth_.

Sarah thought back to his jagged platinum hair, his strange eyebrows and his mismatched eyes. She couldn't help but remember the purr of his accent and the seductiveness of his voice. All of this, however, filled her with hatred and revulsion.

It was because of him that she subjected herself to date after date, trying to prove to herself that there was such a thing as a good man out there. All it proved though was that all boys her age were just as bad as Jareth. _How pathetic_, she thought to herself.

Sarah glanced at the clock on her nightstand. Two AM. She huffed, hitting her pillow. Would she ever get a decent night's sleep? Knowing that it was futile to try to sleep again with the memory of her nightmare fresh in her mind, she climbed out of bed and walked to her window.

Without thinking, she threw the window wide open and breathed in the cool night air. It cleansed her mind and she began to think clearly once again.

"It was only a nightmare," she said aloud. "It wasn't real. It was only a dream." But as she said this, she began to feel uneasy… like she was being watched.

Sarah scanned the skies for a sign of it. The pale owl. The pale barn owl that had stalked her every step for as long as she could remember but then disappeared last year. It hadn't reappeared since but she always felt as it were somewhere, lurking in the shadows nearby, watching her again.

She scanned the skies and the trees one last time before giving up and closing the window again. This time, however, she shut the shade with it. She knew that if Goblin King was really watching her, this would do very little good. But it helped ease her nerves enough to finally drift into a dreamless sleep.

Little did she know, just outside her bedroom window, on a branch covered in leaves, sat a pale barn owl with mismatched eyes, watching her curiously.

**Author Note**: There it is! Chapter one. I'm sure some of you have seen this kind of start to Labyrinth fanfics before. Sorry. It just seems to work for the story. Bear with me.

**Mr. Too-Tight-Pants**: Will you change my name back _now_?

**Moi**: We discussed this. I will change your name back if and only if you do as I asked.

**Mr. Too-Tight-Pants**: No. No. Absolutely not. I refuse!

**Moi**: (shrugs) I guess you don't mind being known as 'Mr. Too-Tight-Pants' from here on out. Of course I may vary it a bit and make some reference to your love of lip-gloss or your fluffy hair or something like that. But for the most part you will remain Mr. Too-Tight-Pants.

**Mr. Too-Tight-Pants**: (looks extremely annoyed) If I do as you ask, will you _please_ change my name back?

**Moi**: Sure. (grins mischievously)

**Mr. Too-Tight-Pants**: (exasperated sigh) Fine. pulls off shirt

**Moi**: Woohoo! This shirtless Goblin King goes out to my girl, WonderHell. You're welcome!

**Jareth**: May I put my shirt back on now?

**Moi**: No. Let WonderHell and the other fangirls out there enjoy this.

**Jareth**: I feel so violated.

**Moi**: (to the readers) Leave those lovely reviews! (blows a kiss)


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Labyrinth. That delicious masterpiece belongs to Jim Henson Company. And in the words of our beloved Sarah, "It's not fair!"

**Author Note**: I want to thank the people who have reviewed so far: LDeetz, notwritten, and WonderHell. I know three reviews may not seem like much but it's three more than I ever expected this early on. So thank you!

**Chapter 2 Make a Wish**

"We're giving you the night off, Sarah."

"Huh?"

"You don't have to watch Toby tonight."

"Who's gonna watch Toby then?" A hint of panic colored Sarah's voice.

"When we go to the restaurant we're taking him with us. We'll drop him off at Nana's house for the weekend."

"But, Dad, Nana's old and I'm sure Toby will be handful and it's really no trouble for me. I don't have plans. I can take care of him. Really." The words tumbled out of her mouth as rapidly as she thought them. Fear always seemed to make things faster and slightly incoherent.

"Whoa! Slow down there, Sarah. Look, Nana will be fine with Toby. She wants to see him. And this way you can still make plans if you want. You work too hard, Sarah."

Toby, who was sitting on Sarah's lap, pulled her hair to get her attention. Ever since they were in the labyrinth, Sarah was the only thing that could really calm him. But it was more than that. When he learned to walk, she was the one he took his first steps to. When he started talking, his first word was not "mamma" or "dadda" or any variation of the two. It was "Sarah" or more specifically "Sawah".

"You've earned a night off, Sarah." Sarah glanced at her stepmother, Irene. They had been getting along a lot better lately; but at that moment, Sarah felt some of her old resistance firing up again inside. Instead of fighting back, however, she bit her tongue and remained silent.

She could argue all she wanted but nothing had _really_ changed. Her parents would win the discussion, no matter what she said. She might as well agree to it instead of getting in trouble.

They took her silence as acceptance and left her and Toby. Sarah looked down at him. His cheeks were round and rosy, his eyes wide and bright and his hair was soft and curly, the same shade of blonde as his mother's. Toby smiled up at Sarah. Some of his teeth were coming in and made his smile comical and endearing. Sarah laughed and kissed his chubby cheeks. _How did I ever wish you away?_ she thought.

A few minutes later her parents came back into the room, cleaned up and ready for a night of alone time. Her father put on his shoes and grabbed the car keys, while her stepmother went to the car.

"Okay, Sarah, we're leaving now."

"All right have fun," said Sarah, still holding Toby in her arms. She knew it was a long shot, but she hoped they had forgotten about the arrangements they had discussed earlier.

"That means hand over Toby," her father said firmly. Sarah sighed and handed him the child reluctantly. Her father smiled at her and said, "Don't worry, Sarah. You'll see Toby on Monday. Let Nana have some time with him this weekend."

Sarah could only nod. Her throat felt tight with worry. _I won't cry_, she told herself. She had an awful feeling though, one that she couldn't just ignore. She waved as her family pulled out the driveway and drove down the street, around the corner and out of sight.

A cold, wet nose pressed against the palm of her hand. She glanced down at her big fluffy dog. He gazed up at her with his big brown eyes expectantly.

"Hey, Merlin. You hungry?"

As if to say 'yes', Merlin licked her fingers. Sarah laughed and led him over to his food bowl. She filled it up and as if to thank her, Merlin licked her once more then dived into his food. Sarah smiled half-heartedly and trudged up the stairs to her room.

Once upon a time her room had been a sanctuary. Now it and the whole house, for that matter, seemed like a prison with the insufferable silence. A year ago she would have given anything for that silence, even wish for the worst possible thing to get it. Now she mourned in the silence, craving some chaos to interrupt her not-so-pleasant memories of the yester-year.

She had to make plans. Anything to break the monotony of being alone in a silent house. She picked up the phone and dialed one of her friend's numbers. Her mother answered.

"Hello? Warner residence. Patty speaking."

"Hi, Mrs. Warner. This is Sarah. Is Jenny home?"

"Oh, hello, Sarah! No, I'm sorry. Jenny's not in. She's on a date with Billy Jenkins and won't be back 'til late. Would you like me to let her know you called?"

"Oh, no thanks, Mrs. Warner. I'll just talk to her on Monday. Bye."

"Bye, bye, sweetie." The line went dead.

Sarah hung up the phone and flung herself on her bed. Of course! It was Saturday. Her friends naturally had plans since they all had boyfriends. Normally she would've joined them with one of her dates; but since she'd given up on ever finding a boy who was right for her, she was alone.

"Why can't I find someone who will love me, treat me right, and _not_ be a total asshole? Why does it seem that those kind of men don't exist?" she exclaimed, pounding her fists into her mattress.

"I wish… I wish…Oh, wishing won't do me any good!" she huffed.

Sarah walked over to her bookshelf and picked out a book with some of her favorite children's stories. She needed a distraction and hoped that a little trip down memory lane would do just that.

Bad idea.

As she flipped through the stories, the hero was always perfect, a Prince Charming with some subtle variations with each passing tale. Sarah, completely exasperated, threw the book at the door. For a long while she sat glowering at her wall. Then, when she finally got bored with the sight of a blank wall, she shifted her gaze to the corner.

Her eyes fell on the three stuffed animals sitting there: Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus. Her throat tightened. It had been a long time since she tried calling them and she doubted they would answer her, but right then and there, Sarah needed them more than she ever need them before.

"Hoggle?" she said, barely more than whisper, gazing into her mirror. "Ludo? Didymus?" She waited for an endless minute for some kind of reply. Nothing.

Sarah could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Perhaps if she tried again a little louder. "Hoggle? Ludo? Sir Didymus?" Again she waited. Again there was no response.

Feeling completely broken, Sarah cried, "Hoggle, Ludo, Didymus? Can't you hear me? Please? I need you!" She paused, her sobs hung heavily in the air. When for a third time there was no response, Sarah completely broke down.

"Why won't you answer me? Why? Why can't I see you? Where are you? Can't you see that I need you?" She flung herself onto her bed and sobbed into her pillow for a good fifteen minutes. It felt like she would have given anything to see them at that moment. Anything.

"I… I wish…" she faltered, "I wish I could see them again. I would give anything for that."

"Oh would you now?" came a cruel purr from behind her.

**Author Note**: Dun. Dun. Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun! If anyone is wondering where our beloved Jareth is, he is giving me the silent treatment (he is still fuming about the topless incident XD). I will try to smooth things over. In the meantime, review, review, REVIEW! Please?


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Labyrinth. I wish I did. (Jareth appears) Go away! You're supposed to be in the end notes, not the disclaimer!

**Author Note**: Just a quick word. I'm planning on updating chapters every one to two days simply as a motivational tool to get this story done. I have nine chapters to this story already written but I'm having a massive case of writers block. I figure the pressure of getting the chapters out on a regular basis will give me the creative boost I need (it usually does). Also thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Your encouragement and input have helped me tremendously.

**Chapter 3 A Trade**

Sarah's eyes snapped open. She was paralyzed with fear. That voice! Oh, God, that voice! She would no sooner forget that voice then she would forget her own name. It was the voice that had haunted her nightmares. It was the voice that nearly seduced her into forgetting _everything_. The voice of a monster. _Jareth_.

"Please, let this be a dream! Please, let this be a dream! _Please,_ let this be a dream!" Sarah repeated over and over to herself.

"I am the stuff of dreams, aren't I?" said the Goblin King, his voice dripping with pride.

_Nope not a dream_, Sarah decided. _Nightmare. _Definitely_ a nightmare_.

"Come now, Sarah. You need to get a grip. This is happening. I am here," Jareth said, his voice clearly amused.

Sarah sat up for the first time and turned to look at the intruder. He didn't look quite the way she remembered. Yes, his hair was still a jagged, platinum mane. Yes, his eyebrows were still a little funny-looking. And yes his eyes were still mismatched. But somehow it worked (in a very bizarre way) and made him look… beautiful?

A wave of nausea rolled over Sarah. Her eyes tightened with hatred. Oh, how she'd just love to wring his pale neck!

"Oh, how you're eyes can be so cruel…" he said softly.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"I believe I've told you that once before. Remember?"

It was like watching a movie as she was pulled into the memory. Rubble was falling all about and in the center of it all there they stood. Sarah looked like a mess and Jareth didn't look much better. He was offering her a clear sphere. A crystal.

There all of a sudden, his voice echoed everywhere. "Fear me. Love me. Do as I say and I will be your _slave_." Then the memory faded abruptly and Sarah was once again sitting on her bed, truly ready to hurl this time. Jareth was smiling a cruel grin. He obviously loved exercising his powers on her.

"Get out," Sarah choked.

"Excuse me?" Jareth replied incredulously.

"You heard me. Get out. Get out of my room. Get out of my house. Get out of my life!" she snarled.

"Is that any way to treat a guest whom you've _invited_ here?" he asked, evidently amused by her anger.

"I did no such thing! I would _never_ invite you here!"

He laughed. "Feisty, aren't we? Not at all the way you used to be. Where is the little girl who would cower before me? I rather like this version of you better." He laughed again.

"I said leave," she repeated firmly. She would not let herself be distracted by this monster's ramblings.

"No, you said 'I wish'. Thus, an invitation. Hence, why I'm here."

Sarah's heart dropped. He was right of course. How could she have been so foolish? Even if she wanted to see Hoggle, Ludo, and Didymus, how could she _wish_ for that? She wanted to kick herself for her stupidity.

Sarah got up from her bed and went over to the three stuffed animals. Her heart ached to see them. But was it worth trusting this horrid monster?

She turned to look at him and was startled to find he was standing right behind her, just a mere inch away.

"Would you like to see them or not?" he said with an annoyed tone.

It took Sarah a long minute but she finally whispered, "Yes."

So quickly that she didn't even see it, Jareth whipped out one of his crystals and held it before her. "Look," he said simply. Something in his expression told her this would end badly. How, she didn't know but she couldn't ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she gazed into the sphere.

Her eyes widened with horror. There was the Bog of Eternal Stench. There were the bubbling waters, the giant boulders and the steep walls surrounding the bog. But worst of all, there was Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus hanging over the bog by their feet.

Sarah's chest tightened. She fought back her tears and said, "What have you done to them?"

She didn't look up at his face but heard him reply coolly, "I don't tolerate treason in my realm. Surely even a little brat such as yourself can understand that."

"But that's so cruel!"

"And so I can be!" Jareth's face was only a centimeter away from Sarah's now. His eyes flashed dangerously and Sarah stumbled back against the wall.

Sarah could feel a sob waiting a break out in her chest. She fought it with all her might. She would _not_ give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"Is there any way?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"Pardon?" he replied, hardly interested in what she was asking.

"Is there any way… for me to save them?" She fought back the tears threatening to pool over. Try as she might, two glistening tears escaped and slowly rolled down her cheeks and onto the floor in front of Jareth's boots.

Jareth smiled wickedly at the sight of her tears. He coolly replied, "No."

"No?" Sarah didn't want to believe there was nothing she could do. There had to be something.

"No," he replied again, walking away from her. He was almost to her window when a very tempting idea popped into his head.

_Hmm. That could work splendidly_, he thought. _I can't see how she could ever_ _refuse_. He smiled viciously. _It's almost too easy!_

"Well," he said pausing by her window, "I suppose there is _something_ you could do." He said each word slowly so that they would have the desired effect.

"Name it," she croaked.

He turned and scrutinized her face briefly, then said, "A trade."

"Trade?"

"Yes, a trade. I let your pathetic friends go unscathed in exchange for you to stay at my castle. Personally, I think your life is worth far more than those ruffians you call friends but that's just my opinion. I guess it depends on how badly you want to save them." He knew the moment he said those words he had her trapped. _Splendid_.

The image of her friends hanging precariously over the bog burned into her mind. On the one hand, she knew that if the roles had been reversed and she was the one hanging over the bog, her friends would trade their lives in a heartbeat. Even Hoggle, who was more concerned with self-preservation than any of the others, would give it up if it meant helping her.

On the other hand, she wasn't sure how willing she was to sentence herself into exile. How long would she be trapped there? A day? A week? A month? A year? Forever? Would she forever be trapped within the ever-changing confines of the labyrinth?

_How can I even think like that?_ Sarah thought. _No. I put aside that selfish girl last year and I don't want to go back to her._

Jareth, seeing some sort of resolution on Sarah's face, asked, "So, do we have a deal?"

Sarah hesitated for a moment. _Is this really what I want? _She shook her head and said, "Yes."

"Done," he said with a sneer.

With a flash of light and a whirl of color, Sarah's warm bedroom was replaced by a large stone chamber. There was a large window on the east (or at least Sarah though it was east) wall. Sarah ran to it find out where she was. Her eyes widened. Hundreds of feet below, the vast expanse of the labyrinth stretched before her eyes.

For a second she couldn't breath. It was like reality had knocked the wind out of her. She was _there_. Again! _Oh, my God! What have I gotten myself into?_

Sarah was brought back to the present with one sentence. "This will be your chamber for the time being," Jareth said with a hint of boredom in his voice.

A thought came to her mind, one that she could not be certain of. "How will I know?" Sarah blurted out.

"How will you know what?"

"How will I know if you keep your end of the bargain?" she clarified.

Sarah knew the second the words left her mouth that she should've kept quiet. Jareth's face became livid. She slapped a hand to cover her mouth but it was too late. She was in for it now.

"You dare," Jareth's growled, "question the _integrity_ of a _king_?" His face was dangerously close to Sarah's, his eyes burning with fury. Sarah should not have said another word, but her defiance escaped through her mouth.

"When that _king_has proven to be untrustworthy, yes."

Fire flashed in Jareth's eyes. Like a whip, his hand shot into the air, ready to strike her. He hurled it through the air but stopped at the last possible second. Sarah winced, prepared for his strike. Jareth's lips curled into a sneer. _Fear_. Perfect.

"Pathetic," he said as he walked away from her towards the door. "And, Sarah," he paused, "if you even _think_ about trying to escape, you will watch your _friends_ endure the punishment. Understand?" He watched his words sink in, obviously enjoying the effect, then headed again for the door.

The door was open when Sarah found her voice. "But… that's not fair!"

The goblin-king turned again and looked at her. "No, it's not," he said. "But that's the way it is." And he slammed the door behind him.

**Author Note**: Hello lovelies! It looks like our little Sarah has gotten herself into a bit of a pickle. What to expect next chapter? NEW CHARACTER! That's right. And this one will play a big role in the story.

**Jareth**: La, la, laaaa (dances around in a blissful daze)

**Moi**: What's your deal, Señor Fluffy Mullet?

**Jareth**: (bouncing up and down) Sarah's in my castle! Sarah's in my castle!

**Moi**: Oooookaaaaaay (raises eyebrow in a slightly disturbed manner) Jareth, what have you eaten/drank recently?

**Jareth**: Oh, just thirteen (hiccup) cups of coffee.

**Moi**: (jaw drops)

**Jareth**: With sugar.

**Moi**: Fantastic. (to the readers) I'm gonna try to calm King Hyper-Spandex here. While I'm gone, why don't you leave more of your lovely reviews?


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Labyrinth. However, Tatiana is from the twistedness of my own imagination. Teehee.

**Chapter 4 Tatiana**

_That was_ too _easy_, thought Jareth as he entered his own private chamber. With a snap of his fingers he was no longer garbed in a high-collared cape, pointed boots, or a poet's shirt. Instead he was wearing a midnight-blue tunic that he wore for sleeping and his gray breeches underneath.

But there was no way he was going to fall asleep. Not tonight. He was far too happy. _She is here!_ It was like every cell in his body was aware of Sarah's return to the labyrinth; and they were all rejoicing.

The sun was setting on the labyrinth and the Underground. Jareth took a seat on the ledge of his window to watch the sight. But there was something far more interesting to him taking place in the west. In the west facing east was the tower where Sarah was staying. Her open window was in direct line of vision with his. Jareth smiled. He didn't plan it that way but he was glad that it worked out like that.

He could faintly make out the silhouette of her sitting much like him on her own window ledge. Wanting a better look at the girl, Jareth summoned a crystal from thin air. Her face swam into focus. He could see Sarah was resting her head in her arms, which were resting on her bent knees. Her face was turned outward and to Jareth's displeasure her eyes were red and puffy. Something glistened on her cheek and rolled swiftly down. A tear. She quickly wiped it away and sighed.

Jareth felt a stab of guilt when he saw that tear. "Don't cry, Sarah," he whispered.

"Well, you were pretty harsh."

Jareth, completely caught off guard, nearly fell out of his window seat.

"Good God, Tatiana!" he exclaimed at the sight of his sister. "Couldn't you have at least _knocked_?"

His sister smiled a mischievous smile, one that was very similar to his own. In truth, they didn't much resemble each other at all. Where Jareth's hair was blonde and shaggy, Tatiana's was auburn and flowy. His eyes were icy and tawny, while her eyes were more like two gemstones, sapphire and emerald.

The few things they did share in common were the fact that they both had mismatched eyes, the same mischievous smile and similar taste in fashion. Like her brother, Tatiana had a taste for tight-fitting and slightly flamboyant clothing. She wore thigh-high boots, skin-tight pants, and a voluminous blouse with a satin corset, sucking in her already tiny waste, over top.

"Hey, little brother," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Jareth scowled. "I don't recall inviting you to my castle, let alone my _room_," he said haughtily.

Tatiana simply laughed. "Oh, don't be so sour, Jareth. I missed you. And I know that this past year has been… difficult for you. Though," she paused, glancing at the silhouette in his crystal, "I see that hasn't really stopped you."

Jareth's scowl deepened. "That's none of your business, Tatiana," he said firmly.

"I know, I know. And I'm not her to give you some lecture about why it's wrong for you to be in love with a human and-"

"You're not?" he asked in complete disbelief.

It took a moment for Tatiana to realize what he was asking but then she replied, "Oh, no. I mean, I _do_ think it's crazy for you to choose a human girl when you could have any eligible Fae in the Underground. But it _is_ your choice. Not mine. So as your sister, I will support you. I want you to be happy.

"That being said," she continued, not waiting for him to reply, "I did come to give you some advice."

"Advice? For what?" he asked indignantly.

"Sarah," she answered simply.

"Sarah? What about Sarah? I've got everything under control."

Tatiana snorted. "Please! You know for someone who claims to be 'madly in love' with this girl, you have a funny way of showing it."

"What are you talking about? I do everything she wants. How is that not showing my love and devotion?"

"Doing things for her is all fine and good," he waited for the inevitable 'but', "_but_ slamming doors, making threats, putting her in unnecessary danger, and _lying_ to her… none of that will help you win her heart."

Jareth was indignant. "I did not slam doors."

"Yes, you did… just a few moments ago."

"Okay… well, I haven't threatened her," he said a little less firmly.

"Oh, who do you think you're fooling with that one? We both know that you've threatened her _plenty_ of times. And if you need an example, your most recent threat took place right before you slammed the door in her face."

"_And, Sarah," he paused, "if you even _think_ about trying to escape, you will watch your _friends_ endure the punishment. Understand?"_

Jareth's face fell as he remembered his earlier words. "Okay. You have me there. But, I haven't put her in unnecessary danger." Tatiana opened her mouth to object but Jareth raised his hand to silence her and continued, "I did warn her about my labyrinth but she chose to go in anyways. Any danger that befell her was her own fault."

That didn't satisfy Tatiana. "But weren't you the one who sent the cleaners after her and the dwarf, Hoggle?"

Jareth opened his mouth to contradict her, but then closed it again. She was right about that one too.

"I've never lied to her, though." As he said these words, his eyes burned with passion and conviction.

Tatiana sighed. "Yes, Jareth, you have."

He understood immediately what she was referring to. It made him feel slightly uncomfortable. "I didn't lie. I just left out a few… minor details."

"Same thing, Jareth."

Once. He had only ever lied to her once. But he had to. There was no other way. How else would he convince her to return to the Underground? He knew that she wasn't particularly fond of him but he missed her so much. He had to find a way to get her near him so he could change her mind. But when it came down to it he knew that Tatiana was (once again) right. He shouldn't have lied to Sarah; that much was certain. And if she found out she was sure to hate him. No questions asked.

Jareth heaved a sigh as he sat on the edge of his bed. He cradled his head in the palms of his hands and stared at the floor. Tatiana came and sat down beside him, her arm wrapped around his shoulder. A long silence passed between the two siblings before Jareth finally said, "Well, I've certainly ruined my chances, haven't I?"

For the first time in all of her life, Tatiana heard her brother's voice sound disheartened. She shook her head and said, "No. Don't give up just yet.

"I'll go to her. Now, I can't make her fall in love with you, Jareth. But I can help you smooth the path to that. It'll all work out. You'll see."

Although Jareth was a full-grown Fae, he leaned his head against his sister's shoulder like a child would to its mother. Tatiana smiled. "Oh, brother. You've got it _bad_."

**Author Note**: Yay! A chapter from Jareth's POV! What was Jareth's lie to Sarah? Stay tuned and find out.

**Sarah**: Hey! How come I'm not in this one?

**Moi**: Because I had to introduce a new character and besides, you _are_ in this one. You're just… not the focus this time.

**Sarah**: (pouts)

**Moi**: (sighs) Don't worry. The next one is back to your POV.

**Sarah**: (perks up) Yay.

**Moi**: (rolls eyes then turns to the readers) Review?


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Labyrinth but all the OCs are mine. Mine. All mine. Mu ha ha ha!

**Author Note: **Thanks again for everybody who has been reviewing. As always your thoughts and oppinions mean _so_ much. FireShifter: I'm glad you like Tatiana. I like to think that she's a lot like me, personality wise. Though, I could never pull off the clothes she wears. I wish I were that f-ing awesome.

**Chapter 5 Peace Offering**

The sun had set long ago in the Underground but Sarah remained where she was on her window ledge. Unfortunately for her, her butt was getting numb from sitting in one position for so long and her eyelids were starting to feel very heavy. It didn't help that there was a lovely queen-sized bed in the corner of the room that was practically begging her to sleep in it. But she denied the temptation as best as she could. She was doing this for Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus. True, their conditions were far worse than her own (she shuddered at the thought of the Bog). But she could make it a little fairer by denying herself the thing she wanted most dearly at that moment: to fall asleep in a comfy bed and wake up to find it had all been yet another crazy dream.

"Knock, knock," came a very feminine voice. Sarah frowned, wondering who the voice belonged to but not caring enough to look up to and see who it belonged to or making any sign of acknowledgement at all.

"You must be Sarah," the voice continued. Sarah's eyes remained fixed on her shoes. "Are you hungry at all? I brought some food if you were." The woman placed a tray of food down at Sarah's feet.

Sarah looked at the tray. There was a large glass of some of the cleanest water Sarah had ever seen. Next to the water there was a loaf of bread. Sarah could smell just how fresh the bread was. Her mouth watered. On a larger plate beside the bread was a chicken breast marinated in a sweet smelling sauce. To top all that off, there was a bowl of chocolate-covered strawberries. The aroma of all this was driving Sarah crazy with hunger. But she knew her friends probably got no more than a chunk of stale bread and dirty water. Why should she get special treatment when they wouldn't have?

She shook her head and said, "Thank you, ma'am but I'm not hungry." As if to contradict this blatant lie, Sarah's stomach growled loudly.

The woman laughed. Sarah glanced up for the first time and gave a quiet gasp. The woman was stunning. She was tall and statuesque with flowing auburn hair, milky skin, and lovely eyes. At a second glance, Sarah could see that her eyes were mismatched, but not liked the Goblin King's. Hers were like two jewels.

The woman was smiling warmly at Sarah when she said, "I think your stomach disagrees with you." Sarah remained still, not wanting to touch the tempting food. Her guest sighed at Sarah's stubbornness but didn't argue with her. Instead she said, "Fine. If you're not going to eat, do you mind if I have one of those strawberries? They've been calling my name the whole way up here."

Sarah only nodded. Needing no more encouragement than that, the woman plopped down opposite of Sarah and took a bite of a fat strawberry. The woman's eyes widened with satisfaction as Sarah said, "I'm sorry but… who are you?"

The lady finished chewing before answering, "Oh, I'm so sorry. It seems I've forgotten my manners. I knew who you were but you didn't know me. My apologies. My name is Tatiana." Tatiana grinned at Sarah. Sarah marveled at how there was no chocolate or strawberry seeds left in the pearly smile. She knew the case wouldn't have been the same for her. It just wasn't fair.

"Tatiana," Sarah repeated slowly. "Can I ask you something?"

"I assume that you weren't including that last question right?"

"Yeah," Sarah grinned sheepishly.

"Well then I'd say yes, you may ask me something."

"Okay…. How do you know who I am? I mean, I know basically nothing about you. So how do you know me?"

Tatiana smiled. "Well, I have my sources," was all she said. Then, hearing Sarah's stomach rumble again, she pushed the tray of food back to her saying curtly, "Eat." When Sarah just stared at the food and shook her head, Tatiana laughed and said, "Come on. Not all food in this place is drugged to make you forget things."

Sarah stared wide-eyed at her. "How did you know about that?"

"Oh, Jareth told me." At this, Sarah frowned. "He's not _that_ bad," said Tatiana, correctly reading Sarah's expression.

"Really?" she replied sarcastically. "I bet he's never made you run through his labyrinth in a race against time to save your baby brother. Has he?"

"Actually, he's made me run through his maze several times in the past. Although, you're right about the baby brother thing. But then again I don't think he could kidnap himself so…" she trailed off.

Sarah gaped openly at her. "What?" Tatiana asked, seeing the shocked look on her face.

"You're… you're his… you two are… huh?"

It was a moment before Tatiana could comprehend what Sarah was trying to get at. "Oh! You mean me and Jareth? Yeah, he's my baby brother." She paused seeing shock still blatant on Sarah's face. "Why? Why does that surprise you so much?"

Sarah blinked a few times. "It's just, you seem so… nice. And he's so… he's so… well… you know."

Tatiana laughed. "Yeah, I suppose he doesn't make the best first impression."

"Or second or third," Sarah mumbled under her breath.

Tatiana grinned and said, "But after that he's not so horrible. He even sent you this food so that you wouldn't go hungry." She put emphasis on the food bit so that perhaps Sarah would take the hint and eat. Instead, Sarah raised an eyebrow and half-grinned at her visitor.

"No offense, Tatiana," she said, "but the last time the Goblin King told someone to give me food, I completely blanked out and inexplicably woke up in a junkyard. I'm sure you can understand why I'm hesitant to trust you."

Tatiana thought about this for a moment then said, "Tell you what, if I take a bite of everything on this tray first and prove that there is nothing wrong with it, will you please do your stomach a favor and eat?"

For the first time that evening, Sarah cracked a genuine smile. "Sure, Tatiana. Whatever you say."

Tatiana smiled back at Sarah, reaching for the loaf of bread. She broke a piece off and put it into her mouth. She chewed it slowly; her expression was thoughtful as if waiting to be struck by lightning or something. When she was satisfied nothing was, in fact, wrong with the bread she said, "Okay. The bread is clear." Sarah grinned as she said this. "Start eating some of that while I try your chicken."

And the process continued. Sarah ate surprisingly eagerly when she knew her food wasn't drugged or otherwise. She shared her chocolate-covered strawberries with Tatiana who graciously accepted. Between the two ladies, the food was gone in a matter of minutes.

Sarah was growing increasingly tired but her curiosity about her visitor over ruled her desire to sleep. "So is it just you and the Goblin King or are there more members of your family?" she asked.

"Well, I'm the middle child so you can safely assume I have an older sibling as well. A brother. His name is Maximus."

Sarah digested this information for a moment then asked, "But if he's older, doesn't that mean he should be the king?"

"He is king. King of the Fae, actually."

"Fae?"

"My race."

"Oh…. So then how did your other brother end up being the Goblin King?"

Tatiana smiled when Sarah called Jareth her 'other brother'_. This girl must not like Jareth at all_, she thought to herself. But instead she replied, "That's kind of a long story. But the gist is that Maximus and Jareth don't get along well. And to spite Maximus, Jareth went out and claimed this little section of the Underground for himself."

Sarah thought about it. _Yeah. That sounds like the Goblin King. _

Her thoughts were interrupted when Tatiana asked her a question. "So what about you, Sarah? What's your family like?"

"That's kind of a long story too," she said sheepishly. "But basically my mom left my dad when I was ten. My dad remarried a few years later. Her name's Irene. They had a baby two years ago, named Toby. I'm sure you heard about Toby," she added with a sheepish grin.

"Yes, I did hear about Toby," Tatiana said smiling at the memory of her brother telling her the story.

Sarah and Tatiana continued to ask each other questions. But when Sarah tried to stifle a yawn, Tatiana clapped her hands together and said, "You, my friend, need to get some rest. My brother will not be happy with me if he finds out that I have deprived you of sleep."

With that, Tatiana picked up the tray and headed for the door. She paused, however, to say, "There should be some nightdresses in the wardrobe for you to sleep in." she gestured to the south wall where the wardrobe stood. "Sleep well, Miss Sarah," she added softly as she closed the door behind her.

As she walked through the hall of the Escher room, she smiled thoughtfully to herself. _Sarah is such a lovely girl_, she said to herself. _No wonder why Jareth fell for her. She's so sweet. But she has a sense of humor as well. And such lovely pale-green eyes._

Meanwhile, Sarah was searching for a nightdress to wear. Originally, she had no intention of using them, but the thought of sleeping in jeans was not particularly appealing. What she really wanted was a pair of flannel pajamas. She had not worn a nightgown since she was ten. But that seemed to be the only option in the wardrobe. So she simply grabbed one and changed behind the screen next to the wardrobe.

She looked at herself in the mirror. The gown was a soft cotton the color or lavender. It had an empire waist and the skirt stopped just below her ankles. The sleeves fit her like any of her long sleeve t-shirts would at home. All in all, it didn't look that bad. Not that it mattered, really. But it seemed to suit her in a way.

She glanced at the fluffy bed calling her name. The temptation to just crawl under the covers was excruciating. But somehow she managed. She pulled off the thinnest blanket and set it on the ground. She lied down on it and shivered. She could feel the cold, hard stone floor underneath the blanket. But she wouldn't complain. She was doing this for her friends. So she wrapped the blanket tightly around her and slowly dozed off to sleep.

**Author Note**: Yay! Another chapter done. There shouldn't be any typos or mistakes but if there are I'm sorry. Wanna know what to expect the next time around? Steamy love scenes and the use of a dunce cap. jk. You're just gonna have to find out yourself XD

**Jareth**: What?! No steamy love scenes?!

**Sarah**: That's not FAIR!

**Moi**: Of course not! Sarah is utterly repulsed by Jareth at this point in the story. It wouldn't make sense for her to just pounce on him randomly.

**Sarah**: (grins deviously)

**Jareth**: you will put some steamy love scenes in this story or I will personally tip you into the Bog of Eternal Stench!

**Moi**: (looks at readers apprehensively) review?


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Labyrinth (which is totally not fair.) But all the original characters are mine.

**Chapter 6 Breakfast with the King**

"Rise and shine, Sarah." Sarah could feel a hand prodding her back. She became very aware of the pillow under her cheek and the warm blankets that covered her while she lay on a soft mattress.

_So it was all just a dream,_ she thought. _And what a wild dream it had been! Let's see… what was it about again? There was Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus. There was also a woman I had never seen before. And there was…_ him_. That stupid Goblin King! At least it was only a dream…_

"Come on, sleepy-head." The prodding continued. _Strange. Normally, Irene isn't so touchy when she tries to wake me. And since when does she have a British accent? _

"Five more minutes, Irene," Sarah mumbled sleepily, cuddling into her bed.

"Irene? Who's Irene?"

Sarah's eyes snapped open. She turned over from her side to her back and her eyes widened. Above her there was a lush canopy in the middle of a large stone chamber with a woman with auburn hair staring at her.

Sarah sat bolt upright. She blinked several times to make sure she was seeing right. Sure enough, everything was still there. Which meant…. "I'm not dreaming? That all actually happened?" And then realization hit her. "Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shitty, shitty, shit. SHIT!"

"What?" asked Tatiana, looking at her like she was crazy.

"My parents are gonna _freak_ when they realize I'm gone. I am _so_ dead," she said biting her nail while looking around again, this time observing what she was sitting on. "Hey. How did I end up on the bed? I could have sworn I fell asleep on the floor."

"Yeah, I was meaning to ask you what the deal with that was. I came in to check on you later last night. And what do I find? You sleeping on the floor, tangled in a sheet!"

"So you moved me then?" Sarah asked, still puzzled.

"Of course, I moved you," Tatiana said, placing her hands on her hips. "I wasn't about to let you sleep on the _floor_.

"Now will you please get up and get dressed? Jareth is in the mother-of-all-bad-moods and we have a lot to get done today. So I would appreciate a little haste from you."

"Why is he in such a bad mood?" asked Sarah as she climbed out of bed.

"Because he's not getting his way," Tatiana said, crossing her arms across bitterly.

"Oh," was all Sarah could say. _So typical_, she thought. Sarah reached for her jeans which she left on the floor. But Tatiana snatched them away from her.

"No. You are not going downstairs wearing what you had on yesterday. No, you will put on some fresh clothes and make yourself presentable."

"But I don't have fresh clothes to wear."

Tatiana waved her hand dismissively and to Sarah's surprise, a dress appeared at the foot of her bed. It was much like her old costumes. It was simple, yet elegant in a casual way and had a lovely coral color to it. Tatiana smiled at Sarah's expression and said, "You'll wear that. It'll bring out the blush in you cheeks and compliment your pretty green eyes nicely."

The dress was as tempting to her as the food had been the previous night. She couldn't understand why a prisoner was recieving so much kindness. She didn't feel like she deserved it. "Thank you, Tatiana. But I'd rather wear my jeans."

"Why do you insist on being difficult?" Tatiana sighed. "Will you at least wear that dress until I can get your clothes cleaned?"

Sarah considered this. It was a resonable request and she had a feeling Tatiana would find a way to win this argument one way or another so she may as well succumb and do as she's asked. Without speaking, Sarah picked up the dress and walked behind the changing screen. Tatiana smirked triumphantly as Sarah flung her nightgown over top the screen and exchanged it for the coral dress.

Sarah came out from behind the screen and turned for Tatiana to inspect. Tatiana clapped her hands together with glee. _Jareth will be pleased_, she thought to herself. Aloud she said, "Oh that really suits you. I knew it would make your eyes pop."

"Would you lace the back? I'm afraid I can't reach it."

"Of course," she said and with a wave of her hand the ribbon was laced. Sarah gave a quick gasp at the sudden tightness. "Now let's fix that hair of yours. It looks like a haystack." Tatiana waved her hand again. This time Sarah's wild bed-head was smoothed and braided in a French braid, stopping midway down her back.

Tatiana sighed with satisfaction then headed for the door. "Come along, Sarah. Jareth is waiting for us in the dining hall and I'd rather not try his patience today."

Without another word, she walked out the door with Sarah at her heels. They walked down a long corridor in silence. Then Tatiana turned abruptly into a large hall filled with winding staircases and platforms. Sarah gasped as she recognized this room. The Escher room. Of all the parts of Jareth's labyrinth that she visited, this was by far the most confusing. A labyrinth within a labyrinth.

Tatiana pressed forward. She seemed to know exactly where she was going. Sarah, on the other hand, considered herself lucky she could even keep up.

"Um, Tatiana…. How will I remember my way back to my room? I can barely keep up with you!"

Tatiana smiled over her shoulder at the girl. "Well, I suppose until you can find your way around without getting lost, you'll need an escort. Either Jareth or myself. I would not trust the goblins if I were you. They're very tricky, as I'm sure you've guessed, and would love nothing more than to see you get lost."

Sarah shuddered. But Tatiana's words sparked another question in her head. "And… how long will I be here?"

Tatiana did not respond right away. Nor did she look at Sarah when she said, "Until Jareth sees fit to let you go." Sarah didn't catch the double meaning of Tatiana's words.

They both remained silent for a time until Tatiana stopped without warning. Sarah ran right into her and Tatiana toppled over.

"Sorry," said Sarah guiltily.

To her surprise, Tatiana chuckled. "It's quite alright," she said, picking herself up off the floor and dusting herself off.

Tatiana turned her attention to the wall in front of her. She pressed her hand against it as if she was searching for something. Her eyes lit up when she found it, a little notch that you wouldn't have noticed was there unless you felt it yourself. Tatiana rapped on that spot three times and then stepped back.

Sarah's eyes widened in surprise. The stone wall that was in front of her seemed to melt away, leaving an archway in its place. Sarah stepped through the arch and found herself in another familiar room.

Its ivory walls seemed to glitter as much as they had last time. But it seemed vaster now that there weren't hundreds of people twirling around on the marble floor.

"This is the ballroom," said Tatiana, her voice echoing through the hall. "Jareth holds an annual ball here every year. In fact, it's in a couple of weeks. Perhaps you'll still be around for it. I think you'd rather enjoy it," she said smiling sideways at Sarah.

Sarah could only half-return the smile and say, "Perhaps." She'd rather not, though. Visions of Jareth twirling her across the dance floor filled her eyes. She fought the urge to cringe. But Tatiana didn't seem to notice. She just kept walking through another door to a room with a long table lined with chairs and a huge chandelier hanging above.

"This is the formal dining room. I'm afraid it doesn't get a ton of use. Just when Jareth hosts a ball or a large banquet."

They proceeded into a smaller dining room. This room also contained a table lined with chairs. However, it was much smaller and closer to the standard size Sarah was used to. At the end of the table sat the Goblin King. He was pinching the bridge of his nose as if he was trying to rid himself of a massive headache. Indeed he didn't look like he was in a good mood at all. Sarah wondered to herself why that was, but she didn't give it too much thought. Why should she care?

Jareth didn't look up when the two ladies entered the room. Tatiana rolled her eyes and cleared her throat to announce their presence. Jareth's eyes automatically went to his sister whom he glared openly at. To Sarah's astonishment, Tatiana met his glare with her own death stare. It was funny. Though the two siblings looked very little alike, they both possessed the same arrogant swagger (which Sarah never noticed about Tatiana until that moment).

Unable to contain herself, Sarah tired to stifle a snort. Tried… but failed miserably. This drew Jareth's attention away from his sister to the pretty young lady standing before him. Instantly, the coldness in his gaze evaporated. But the haughtiness remained where it was. Sarah remembered this look from the first time they met face to face.

In his normal purr he said, "Good morning, Sarah. I trust you slept well?"

"I did, thank you," she said, meeting his arrogant gaze with her own stubborn one.

He smirked at her stubborn expression and said, "Well, now that you ladies are here, I think it's time we eat." Jareth snapped his gloved fingers and a parade of goblins, carrying plates of food, scuttled into the room. The goblins set the plates on the table, one where Jareth was sitting and one on either side of him. Then they scuttled back out again, snickering as they went.

Tatiana walked over to the plate on Jareth's left and sat herself down. Sarah followed suit and walked to the place on his right. She was just about to pull out her chair when a voice from behind her startled her.

"Allow me," said the Goblin King, pulling her chair out for her.

Sarah took her seat. She then turned her head to say, "Thank-" but stopped. Their eyes locked. Not like their staring competition earlier. It was something else. Something strange. Sarah wasn't sure what it was but something in his eyes held her there. Neither one was sure how long they stayed that way, staring at each other, but it was Jareth who broke the gaze first with a faint smile on his lips.

"Th-thank you," she stammered. She was horrified to feel heat rising to her cheeks. Was she _blushing_?

"You're welcome," said Jareth, his arrogant swagger back in place. Tatiana pulled a fan from thin air and used it to hide the wide grin that was now etched on her face.

After the Goblin King took a bite of his breakfast, the two ladies followed suit. Sarah kept her eyes on her plate, afraid to look up and find the Goblin King staring at her. _What could he possibly be thinking?_ thought Sarah as she took a bite of her eggs. _Not that it matters, or course,_ she reminded herself. _But still. Why does he insist on staring at me like that?_

Meanwhile, the Goblin King was glancing sideways at Sarah with a quizzical look on his face. _That was strange_, he thought, pursing his lips. _She's never looked at me like that before_. He grinned devilishly at the thought. He chanced another glance at her and his expression softened. He inwardly sighed. _Sarah looks so beautiful. How long will it take to win you over, Sarah, my dear? _Jareth thought wistfully.

Tatiana had remained rather quiet throughout breakfast. But she had quite a few pressing things on her mind. She figured it was time to interrupt the two daydreamer's thoughts and bring them back to reality. "Well there's no sense in putting off this conversation any longer, Jareth," she said. "I'm sure there's a great deal of work to be done before your guest arrives this evening. So, what will you have us do?"

Jareth's relatively peaceful face disappeared and was replaced by the deep scowl that Sarah noticed when she first entered the dining room. "I don't think it's necessary to make any preparations, sister," he said, trying very hard not to lose his temper in front of Sarah.

Tatiana scoffed. "Oh, there's plenty to prepare, _brother_," she hissed

"If that little brat wants to come here, he can take the castle as it is," he hissed back, rising slowly from his seat with a menacing look in his eyes.

Tatiana was about to retaliate when Sarah said, "Wait! I'm lost…. Who's visiting?"

"The Crowned Prince of the Fae, Nicholas," he said, turning to face Sarah.

"Also known as Jareth's nephew."

**Author Note**: Dun. Dun. Duuuuuuuuuuuuun! Who is this mysterious Fae Prince? Why is Jareth so pissed that he's coming? All this and more to come!

**Jareth**: (grumbles)

**Moi**: What?

**Jareth**: You didn't put any steamy love scenes in this chapter!

**Moi**: Jeez you're still going on about that?

**Jareth**: (grumbles) yes

**Moi**: Let it go, man. It's not gonna happen... well not yet at least. I don't know. I'm not done writing it.

**Jareth**: You better put steamy love scenes in this story or I'll--

**Moi**: Throw me in the Bog of Eternal Stench. I know. I know.

**Jareth**: Um... yes that.

**Moi**: You desperately need some new material. Anyways (turns to readers) review?


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Labyrinth. But the delicious Prince Nicholas and all other original peeps are mine. All mine. Not yours. Mine. Heehee!

**Chapter 7 Preparations for the Prince**

Tatiana and Jareth argued for a good ten minutes. Sarah, meanwhile, sat there and listened. She was very confused. Clearly the Goblin King was upset about his nephew coming to visit the labyrinth, but what Sarah didn't understand was why he was angry. What did he have against the kid anyways?

"Jareth, you _will_ be hospitable to Nicholas, or so help me--!"

"Me? This is your fault! _You_ invited him, not me. I don't even like the kid!"

"Well, maybe you would if you actually took the time to get to know him!"

By now they were in each other's faces. Sarah was getting very nervous that they would start doing more than just shouting at one another. What if the fighting turned physical… or worse?

"Just because my brother's son is coming, doesn't mean I have to like it!"

"Damn it, Jareth! That's all this come down to isn't it? The fact that he is Maximus' son? Well that's a really _stupid_ reason to hate someone. Besides, we already had this discussion last night. The boy _is_ coming, whether you like it or not. Now you can be a bitter asshole about it, or you can suck it up and make the most of your time with him." Tatiana's eyes flashed dangerously, challenging Jareth to anger her again.

Jareth clenched his gloved hands into fists but slowly exhaled in resignation. It was then that Jareth realized Sarah was still in the room. His cheeks flushed as he met her confused and scared eyes with his embarrassed ones. How could he lose his temper in front of her like that?

An awkward silence filled the dining room. The three of them just kept looking from one to another. Finally, when she couldn't stand the silence anymore, Sarah broke the tension. "So… um, Tatiana… you said that there were things to prepare. Is there anything I could do to help?"

Tatiana smiled sheepishly. "Well, personally, I think the whole labyrinth needs to be cleaned up. But, obviously, we don't have that kind of time. The stairs in the Escher room desperately need polishing," she said thoughtfully, "but I think we can get a few goblins to do that for us.

"Then the garden on the south side of the castle could use a little TLC. And don't even get me started on the throne room." She paused again then said, "Just wondering, Jareth, how on earth did you let your labyrinth fall into such disrepair?"

Jareth's lips tightened into a thin line. However, his voice was even when he said, "It's a full time job keeping the inhabitants of my labyrinth in line. I'm sure Sarah of all people would agree with me on that."

Sarah smiled. The Goblin King was right about that. His subjects were nothing less than a handful. The faces of the creatures she met the previous year swam through her head… save for three. At that moment it was too painful to think of them.

Jareth, reading Sarah's expression, felt a twinge of guilt. It was obvious how much she missed those buffoons. But he couldn't just let her see them. They would reveal the truth to her and she'd hate him forever.

Tatiana once again brought the pair's thoughts to the present. "So, Sarah, would you be willing to help me clean the throne room then? We can leave the garden for another day."

Sarah looked up to meet Tatiana's eyes and smiled. "I'd love to help."

Jareth frowned at this. He hated the idea of Sarah degrading herself by doing servant work. In his eyes, she was a queen. She shouldn't have to lift a finger for anything.

Tatiana stood up and said, "Well then, if you would excuse us, Jareth. Sarah and I should probably get started now. Goodness knows that the throne room is a full day's job."

The ladies curtsied (which looked odd for Tatiana since she was wearing tight pants again instead of a skirt) and headed for the door. When Sarah had reached the exit, Jareth stopped them. "Actually, may I have a quick word before you go, sister?"

Tatiana sighed. She nodded her head towards Sarah, signaling her to wait outside. Sarah understood and left the room. Jareth's eyes followed her until she was completely out of sight, his gaze filled with longing. Then he turned to face his sister who was now standing right in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest.

"What is it?" she said with her eyebrow quirked in a way that suggested she was both curious and annoyed at the same time.

"I don't think Sarah should be doing chores while she's here," Jareth whispered in case Sarah was listening at the door.

Tatiana rolled her eyes. "Why not?" she demanded, not even bothering to lower her voice.

"Because she's not a common servant. She's a guest!" he hissed, barely keeping his voice down.

"Jareth," she replied, "think about it from her perspective. The only reason why she's here at all is because she wanted to take her friends' place. Which you haven't told her the full truth about, I might add. To her, she's not a guest but a prisoner. She knows, though, that she's being treated better than they were. And that clearly bothers her. Doing chores… is her way of leveling things out. It makes her feel better about the situation."

Jareth sighed. "I guess I didn't think about that. It's just that--"

Tatiana placed her hand on her brother's cheek, forcing him to look at her. "I know, brother. To you, Sarah is nothing less than a queen. But she wants to do this. So let her."

Jareth smiled weakly and murmured the word 'fine.'

"There you go," she said smiling broadly. "Now, if you could do me a favor that would be wonderful." He nodded. "Okay, can you keep your goblins out of the throne room for the day, please? Oh! And can you get some of the smarter ones to polish the Escher room?"

He shrugged and said, "Sure."

With one final smile, Tatiana left the room to join Sarah, who had been sitting patiently in a chair, unaware of the conversation that had gone on in the next room.

* * *

"Wow."

"It's disgusting. I know."

"How long do you think it'll take to clean?"

"If we're lucky…several hours."

"And if we're not?"

Tatiana sighed. "Let's just hope we're lucky."

Sarah grimaced at that answer. The throne room was truly a disaster. There was mud all over, chicken bones littered the floor and there was bird poop and feathers everywhere. Sarah wrinkled her nose in disgust. How did the Goblin King stand functioning in such a pig-sty?

Tatiana tied her hair back and rolled up her sleeves. "Well, no use standing here. Let's get started." With a wave of her hand, a bucket of soapy water, a broom and dustpan, several brushes for scrubbing and several rags appeared in the middle of the room.

Sarah raised her eyebrows. "Tatiana," she said, "if you can wave your hand and make cleaning supplies appear, couldn't you just use your magic to clean the room?"

Tatiana laughed. "Oh, if only that were possible! Unfortunately for us, magic can only go so far."

Sarah grimaced, but then rolled her sleeves up and joined Tatiana at work. At first, they cleaned silently, sweeping the loose dirt, dust and feathers from the ground. But as they began scrubbing the mud and poop encrusted floors, Sarah became desperate for something else to concentrate on. So she asked, "What does Prince Nicholas look like?"

Tatiana had been concentrating on a particularly difficult mud stain on the stone floor. She didn't look up when she said, "Just like his father."

Sarah frowned. That didn't really help give her a mental image of what to expect. So she pressed further. "And… what does his father look like?"

Tatiana looked up from her work and grinned at Sarah. "Imagine Jareth with short_er_ hair and less flamboyant clothing and you can easily picture both Maximus and Nicholas.

Sarah raised her eyebrows. That certainly was an interesting visual.

Tatiana laughed. "I know. Crazy, huh? As if the world can handle more than one Jareth. I swear if it weren't for the fact that I look like our mother, people would think I was adopted."

Sarah laughed. She could see what Tatiana meant. Tatiana and Jareth looked so little alike, she must really stand out with both brothers and her nephew standing next to her.

"What are they like?" Sarah asked.

"Who?" Tatiana replied, scrubbing the floor once again.

"Your family."

Tatiana didn't look up as she asked, "What do you want to know about them?"

"Just what they're like. I don't care. Tell me anything… everything."

She smiled at Sarah's curiosity and said, "My parents were some of the original Fae. They were very powerful too. It was for those reasons that they were made the Fae King and Queen. My father was strong and a good leader. He always tried to be as fair as he could be to his subjects." Sarah scoffed, mumbling something about it being a pity that he didn't pass that characteristic on to Jareth.

Tatiana laughed and continued. "My mother was very feisty and stubborn… and so beautiful. I don't think there was ever a beauty to equal hers in all the Underground. It was a sad day when they chose to die."

Sarah was surprised by this last statement. "Chose? Why would they choose to end their lives?"

Tatiana didn't appear sad when she answered. She merely shrugged and said, "Well, when you live forever, life tends to get monotonous after the first couple thousand years. For a Fae, death is an option or a possibility, not the inevitable. They were merely ready to pass on to the next life."

"How old were they?"

"A lot older than the ancient Egyptians of the Aboveground, let's just say."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

Another long lapse of silence passed between the two. They had half the floors sparkling before Sarah spoke again. "So how old are you?"

"Twenty-three hundred years old."

"Really?" Sarah was amazed by this. "You certainly don't look like it."

She laughed. "Fae age at the same rate as humans. But we stop aging after a certain point."

"Oh. So, how old is the Goblin King?"

"Jareth is just shy of two thousand years old."

"You're three hundred years older than your brother?"

"Yes. And Maximus is two hundred years older than myself." Tatiana laughed at Sarah's astounded face. "I know it must sound crazy to a human, but considering how difficult it is for two Fae to conceive children, that's uncommonly close together in age."

"Why is it so hard for Fae to have kids?"

"That's the price of immortality. We are just as fragile as humans but since we have the potential to live forever, it wouldn't make sense for us to be able to have children as quickly as rabbits. Perhaps that's why Fae and humans would sometimes join," she said thoughtfully.

"Join?"

"Oh…um…mate. It didn't happen often but there were occasions when it did. It was a lot easier for a Fae and a human to conceive than for two Fae to conceive. When it did occur, both the human parent and the child received all the powers of the Fae. They could live forever too with the Fae parent."

Sarah sat there with her mouth slightly open for a moment. Then when she regained herself, she said, "Tell me more about your family. Like, what happened after your parents died? And why does the Goblin King hate Maximus so much?"

"I'm not so sure I'm the one who should answer your second question. But as for the first, it happened like this.

"After my parents passed on, Maximus was next in line for the crown. After he ascended the throne, he married. His bride, Queen Lucinda," she practically hissed the name, "was unable to bear children (not that it was a top priority for Max since he didn't _need_ children). At any rate, he ended up having multiple affairs which resulted in a couple illegitimate children."

Sarah's jaw dropped as she heard this. She felt so sorry for Lucinda. Tatiana, however, read her expression and said, "Oh, don't feel too sorry for his wife. She was about as faithful to him as he was to her. For quite some time many Fae were calling for her head due to her infidelity. But when she produced a lawful heir, they let it go."

"Why did they stay together when they didn't love each other?"

Tatiana shrugged. "Lust, power, there were a lot of reasons why Maximus kept Lucinda around. Love, however, was definitely not one of them. But it didn't matter, though. Once Nicholas was born, her place as queen was set. Her crown could only be taken if something were to happen to both Maximus and Nicholas.

"Maximus' promiscuous behavior is one of the reasons why Jareth despises him so much."

"Why?" Sarah was very curious.

"They both have very different opinions on love that they both feel very strongly about. You see, for Maximus, his marriage was one of convenience. But he doesn't really believe in being faithful to his partner (obviously). Whereas, Jareth believes in one true love… a soul mate. He refuses to give himself totally until he finds that special woman."

Sarah felt a smile creep onto her features. "You mean… he's…"

Tatiana grinned. "That's right. Two thousand years old and _still_ a virgin."

At that moment the two ladies howled with laughter. It was several minutes before either could breathe. Sarah wiped the tears streaming down her eyes and looked at Tatiana who was grinning broadly. "So what about you, Tatiana? What is your belief on love?"

A crimson blush painted the Fae's features when she said. "Well… I'm certainly not a virgin." Before Sarah could say anything, she said, "I know a lot of people think that I am morally bankrupt for that reason. But which is worse? Pledging your heart and soul to one person and then giving it to another? Or not pledging your heart to anyone and giving bits and pieces to others?"

Sarah thought about it. She supposed that it was probably better that if Tatiana was going to behave that way, at least she never promised anyone anything. "But isn't that hard on you at all? Don't you ever want someone who will totally love you?"

Tatiana shrugged. "I suppose I'll find someone someday. But in the meantime, I think I'd like to enjoy the ride." She winked at Sarah who blushed at the joke.

After that they talked about other things. Tatiana talked about her life in the Underground and all the different creatures that lived there. Sarah talked about what it was like to live in the Aboveground. They both shared stories about friends and family. All the while they scrubbed those disgusting stone floors.

At some point Tatiana glanced out the window, only to see the sun setting on the labyrinth. She glanced at the clock, hardly believing her eyes. "Oh shit! You and I need to get ready now." She waved her hands and the cleaning supplies disappeared. The room was mostly spotless now. It would have to do.

Tatiana grabbed Sarah by the arm and pulled her out of the throne room on into the Escher room where they rushed off to get ready.

* * *

Jareth was pacing in the throne room, fuming. He was wearing the same thing he wore when he found Sarah and Hoggle in the tunnels of the labyrinth. He paused for a moment to scrutinize how he looked in the mirror. _Fabulous as always_, he thought. But that knowledge wasn't enough to calm him down.

He loved his sister very much but at that moment he could easily snap her in half. Not just for inviting his unwanted nephew to _his_ labyrinth, but also for blocking his crystals from observing her and Sarah as they worked.

They had certainly taken a long time to clean his throne room. He looked around. It was completely different. It was hard to believe it was ever so dirty. Apparently he would have to take the time to clean it more often. Perhaps he could get that dwarf to do it. What was his name? Hogwarth? Higgle? Hogswash? Whatever. It wasn't all that important.

But where were his sister and Sarah? Did it really take women this long to get ready? That spoiled brat, Nicholas, would be there any minute. Jareth would rather take a bath in the Bog of Eternal Stench than be left alone with the spawn of his half-assed brother.

_Where are they?_ he wondered. He was quickly loosing patience. The goblins were uncommonly quiet as they watched their king pace back and forth. They had the feeling that someone was definitely going to meet the Bog tonight… or at least an oubliette.

Suddenly, a gust of wind filled the hall. Jareth turned to see a younger version of his brother standing before him. His short blonde hair was mussed up in a way that suggested he rolled out of bed only moments ago. His broad shoulders were pulled back in a perfect posture and his cold mismatched eyes were eyeing Jareth warily. Jareth would have been impressed with the entrance if it weren't for the fact that it was his nephew's.

The air was tense. Neither man moved. They just eyed each other coldly. Fortunately for them, Tatiana entered the room and shattered the tension.

"NICHOLAS!" she squealed, throwing her arms around her nephew in a tight embrace.

Nicholas returned the embrace, laughing, "Hey, Aunt Tatiana."

"Have you and your Uncle Jareth said 'hello' yet?" she asked eyeing the two.

"No we have not," said Nicholas. He bowed to his uncle who barely nodded in return. Tatiana frowned but said nothing.

"Where is Sarah?" Jareth asked.

Tatiana looked around. "She is… was right behind me a moment ago."

Nicholas's eyes brightened up. "Sarah? As in _the_ Sarah? The Sarah who defeated Uncle's labyrinth? _That_ Sarah?"

"Yes that Sarah," Tatiana said impatiently. She continued looking around. "Sarah?" she called.

Sarah was just outside the door, peaking around the corner. For some reason she was feeling very shy. She couldn't exactly rationalize that feeling either. Just then Tatiana stepped across the threshold and found her standing there. She took Sarah by the hand and led her into the throne room, revealing the young girl in all her splendor.

She was wearing an off-the-shoulder, satin dress in the same shade of green as her eyes. Her hair hung in glossy, ebony waves down her back and around her neck there was a beautiful silver heart pendant.

When Sarah had walked into the room, one thing was certain: Jareth's wasn't the only jaw that dropped.

**Author Note**: Woohoo! Another new chapter! And let me just say, writer's block is a total biotch! It took me forever to write this one, and for that I apologize.

**Jareth**: So, what can we expect for the next chapter?

**Moi**: (grins deviously) I don't think I wanna tell you.

**Jareth**: What? Why not?

**Moi**: Why would I want to spoil the surprise?

**Jareth**: Um… because I told you to?

**Moi**: (thinks about it) Hmm… naw. I don't think I will.

**Jareth**: Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?

**Moi**: Oh okay. Come here so I can whisper it in your ear.

**Jareth**: (walks over)

**Moi**: A little closer now. (Jareth walks a little closer) Perfect! Now, hold still. (burps in his ear)

**Jareth**: Why you little--! That was disgusting!

**Moi**: Heehee! I got you good!

**Jareth**: I'm gonna lock you in an oubliette! I'm not kidding this time!

**Moi**: (turns to readers) please review. Maybe Jareth won't kill me. (runs away from Jareth)


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Labyrinth. If you seriously think that I do, you're crazy. But all the original characters have my finger prints on them.

**Author Note: **Hey everybody! Due to the curiosity of some of my readers, I started doing a little research on the meanings of the character names in my story. What I came to find is pretty interesting, appropriate or even strangely ironic... First, there was definite curiosity about the name Tatiana. To be honest, I chose that name at random from a list of names that I think sound freakin' awesome. Unfortunately I couldn't find out what the name actually meant. But I did find out that it comes from a saint who is particularly honored in the Eastern Orthodox church. Sarah's name is very appropriate I think. It means 'princess'. Go Figure. Maximus (though we haven't officially met him yet) means 'the greatest'. Talk about an egotistical name. Nicholas (love that name!) means 'victory of the people'... And Jareth! OMG his name is so ironic to his character... supposedly it means 'gentle'. Gentle! Ok before you guys get bored with me why don't you read the next chapter. Yes?

**Chapter 8 The Prince**

Jareth's eyes took in Sarah's beauty. Although it wasn't the first time he had seen her in a year, it was the first time he'd actually taken the time to notice how much a year could physically change her. She had lost the youthful roundness of her face. She had also grown taller, making her body willowy and graceful. Jareth also couldn't help but notice that her face and body were more womanly than the last time he'd really looked. He loved how she gazed around the room shyly from under her thick lashes and how her full lips parted just so. Despite himself, he loved the way the green satin hugged her womanly curves in a way that was elegant, not sleazy. How could this sixteen year old human girl, who he already decided was more beautiful than any Fae woman he had ever encountered, have gotten _more_ beautiful in the past year?

Nicholas, on the other hand, was taken aback by how physically different Sarah was than he expected. In the Underground she was a legend. No one had _ever_ beaten Jareth's infamous labyrinth in under thirteen hours before, least of which a human with no magical abilities. So when this child had defeated it, word spread far and wide. The stories were all the same. They vividly depicted her courage, her fiery spirit and her sheer determination. They never said anything about her staggering beauty. Nicholas had been expecting some tomboyish girl with dirt under her fingernails and scrapes on her knees… something that was more like a tough weed rather than a delicate flower.

Sarah was surprised to see the Goblin King gaping at her like he was. She couldn't understand why he was reacting to her this way. It made her feel very self conscious. She tried to avoid his eyes (which was impossible) and instead turned her gaze to the man who was standing a few feet away from him. This must have been Prince Nicholas. He certainly looked like his uncle, but there were definitely some differences between the two. His messy, blonde hair would have been considered long for a man in the Aboveground but compared to the Goblin King… he may as well been bald. He was also more muscular than his uncle. His clothes were more conservative and his smile was warm by comparison. But what Sarah found most interesting about Nicholas was his eyes. Like what seemed his whole family, they were mismatched. However, unlike Tatiana's or the Goblin King's, they were nowhere near as dramatic in difference. One was tawny brown like Jareth's. But they other eye was a goldish hazel. They both seemed to sparkle as he gazed at Sarah. She blushed in response.

Tatiana wasn't the least bit surprised by how Jareth reacted to Sarah when she entered the room. If anything, she was slightly disappointed. She had been expecting his jaw to literally hit the floor and for him to drop to his knees, begging for Sarah's hand in marriage right then and there. However, she was satisfied to see him startled by her appearance. She definitely wasn't expecting Nicholas to react to Sarah the way he did, though. He had a reputation in the Underground for being a womanizer. He had never once been so captivated before by one girl. True, his options were certainly limited at that moment (it was either Sarah or the goblins). But even so, Tatiana felt uneasy as her nephew gazed at the young girl.

Jareth bowed deeply to Sarah when he realized he was just standing there, looking a bit idiotic. Sarah raised an eyebrow at this. Since when did the Goblin King act like a gentleman?

"Nicholas, it is my deepest pleasure to present to you the champion of my brother's labyrinth, Lady Sarah Williams of the Aboveground." Tatiana nudged Sarah forward.

Sarah scowled at how formally Tatiana introduced her. She held her hand out for the prince to shake. He took it but he didn't shake it. Instead he brought it to his lips and softly pressed his lips to it, smirking as he did so. A soft blush graced Sarah's cheeks as she pulled her hand back. Inside, a small part of her melted.

Her reaction didn't go unnoticed by Jareth. His heart wrenched as he watched her smile sweetly. He couldn't ignore the pang of jealousy he felt towards his nephew. She never smiled at _him_ like that.

"It's an honor to meet you, Lady Sarah. I've heard a great deal about you."

"You have?"

"Yes. You're famous in our realm. But I must say that in all the stories I've heard of you, not once do they mention how stunning you are," he said, gazing steadily at her.

Sarah laughed an embarrassed laugh then said, "Perhaps that's because I'm not that stunning."

Nicholas laughed heartily. "My dear, you should take a good look in the mirror before you say such blasphemy about yourself."

Now Jareth's blood was definitely boiling. _Nobody_, nobody called Sarah 'my dear' other than himself (no matter how much she may hate it). In fact, Jareth was seriously considering tipping Nicholas into the Bog right then and there for such heinous crimes. He certainly wouldn't be expecting it. And it was better than watching his nephew flirt shamelessly with the girl of his dreams.

Tatiana, sensing Jareth's malicious intent, ran defense. "Well, now that everyone is present, why don't we go to the dining room? Nicholas?"

Nicholas looked away from Sarah at the sound of his name. He smiled and chivalrously offered his aunt his arm. Tatiana looked over her shoulder to give Jareth a very pointed look. The Goblin King understood and offered Sarah his arm. Her face fell at the invitation but she reluctantly accepted it. The two pairs made their way to the dining room with a herd of snickering goblins bringing up the rear.

Though it would be just the four of them dining, they were eating in the formal dining room that evening. Tatiana said it would be best for Jareth to put his best foot forward for his guests… which he agreed to (more like she threatened to tell Sarah embarrassing stories about him if he didn't.). The Goblin King, once again, sat the head of the table. Tatiana sat to his immediate right with Sarah sitting on her other side while Nicholas sat at the king's left. This arrangement didn't suit Jareth at all. He would much rather have Sarah sit beside him and he didn't want to be anywhere near his damned brother's son. The only thing about the seating that Jareth did like was that at least Sarah wasn't sitting next to Nicholas.

Like that morning at breakfast, the goblins paraded their food into the room on silver trays. The only difference was that this time there were _seven_ courses to be paraded out, all of which had Tatiana's finger prints all over them. Sarah noted that a flare for the dramatic seemed to run in this family's veins (not that she had room to talk about being dramatic).

The first few courses were consumed silently and the room was filled with tension. Every now and then Sarah would look up from her food to find Nicholas gazing intently at her. He never seemed embarrassed about being caught. Instead he flashed her a dazzling smile and went back to his own meal. After this would happen Sarah would see out of the corner of her eye Jareth's gloved hand fist up into a ball and then relax again. And then Tatiana would look from the king to the prince, then back again nervously, as if expecting something. And then the cycle would repeat.

About the time of the fifth course, strain had reached an all time high. Everyone was surprised when Jareth was the first to break it. He couldn't stand it anymore, though, and he _had_ to get a burning question off his chest.

"So how long are you staying here, Nicholas?" Tatiana kicked her brother in the shin. He nearly choked on the food which he had just placed in his mouth. Jareth shot Tatiana his intimidating death stare. Completely unfazed, she shot one right back at him. "Because… you are welcome as long as you like," Jareth relented.

"Thank you, uncle," Nicholas replied, ignoring his uncle's forced manners. "Actually, I've heard the masquerade ball you hold every year is really quite something. Members of the Fae court gush about it for weeks after attending it. I was hoping that I might stay long enough to attend it… if that's not a problem for you. I'd hate to intrude or overstay my welcome," he added hastily.

"Nonsense! You heard Jareth. You may stay as long as you like," said Tatiana before the Goblin King could say the contrary.

"Well, thank you. I've heard of Fae who plan their entire year around this ball. I'm told it is the event of the year."

Despite himself, Jareth couldn't suppress the smug grin stretching across his face. _His_ masque was the event of the year. _His_, not Maximus'. _His_.

At that same moment, Sarah put her fork down with a queasy look forming on her face. Although Jareth loved her in green, the shade of green that was coming to her face was not a pleasant one. She looked like she was about to throw up.

Visions of the peach dream flooded Sarah's mind. All around her there were people twirling and dancing around, wearing horrifying masks and rich, decadent garments. Sarah herself was wearing a dress that could only be described as fit for a princess. And then there _he_ was. _He_ was standing there in all his glory, taunting her, always just out of her reach. She felt disgusted with herself at the memory. She had searched for him so ardently among the dancers until finally he decided to 'grace' her with the dance she so desperately wanted (for some crazy reason). She hated the way he so effortlessly glided her through the dancers across the floor, his eyes never leaving her. She despised the touch of his hand on the small of her back. And she loathed how his seductive voice lulled her into a state of forgetfulness. That is until a clock chimed somewhere nearby…

"Are you alright, Lady Sarah?"

Sarah snapped out of her daze with a shudder. Quickly she plastered a smile to her face and said, "Oh, I'm fine. Perhaps I just ate a little too much or something. But I'll be fine."

Her answer seemed to appease Tatiana and Nicholas but Jareth wasn't fooled. He knew that with all this talk of masquerades, Sarah was bound to start reminiscing. Perhaps her reaction should have bothered him but he really didn't care at the moment. Her reaction was priceless. He smirked.

Sarah thought fast, wanting so badly to steer the conversation away from masquerades. "So, your highness," she said, turning to look at Nicholas, "earlier Tatiana and I were talking and that got me wondering," Tatiana bit her lip, wondering where Sarah was going with this, "how old are you?" Tatiana breathed a sigh of relief. "Because she told me Fae age at the same rate as a human, but you look younger than the Goblin King and Tatiana." It was a desperate question but it got them away from the prior conversation (much to Sarah's relief).

The prince smiled. It was refreshing for him to be around someone who didn't know everything about him already. "Well I _am_ younger than them." Sarah blushed, feeling pretty stupid. "But the reason why I _look_ younger is because Fae will stop aging at different times. For instance, my aunt stopped aging somewhere in her early thirties. My uncle stopped aging in his mid thirties. My own father didn't stop aging until his mid forties. I, on the other hand, stopped in my mid twenties."

"I see," Sarah said. "And how old are you really then?"

"Oh, when did the Aboveground Renaissance begin? Somewhere between the 1300s and 1400s? Well if you know when the Renaissance began then you can roughly guess my age."

"Wow! You were born during the Renaissance?" she asked in amazement.

"Yes. I know. I'm terribly young." Sarah smirked at this. "Well… I suppose not for a human. But for a Fae I am very young indeed. One of the youngest," he said.

The last of the courses were spent with Sarah bombarding the Fae with questions (most were directed at Nicholas but occasionally some went to Tatiana and she even rarely asked the Goblin King something). She was particularly interested in what they had to say about magic.

"Magic manifests itself differently for every Fae," Tatiana explained.

"Huh?" Sarah's expression was slightly confused.

"It takes a different form," Nicholas clarified.

"For instance, I'm sure you're familiar with Jareth's crystals." Sarah frowned. Yes, she was all too familiar with them. "Well, those are unique to Jareth and Jareth alone," said Tatiana.

"Actually, crystals are not entirely Uncle Jareth's thing," Nicholas amended. He focused his eyes on Sarah. "You see, Sarah, Uncle is not the only one in this family whose magic takes the form of a crystal." He produced one of his own in his hands. It was the same size and shape as the Goblin King's but it looked different. Instead of it being crystal-clear like Jareth's, it had a sort of glazed look… like frost on a window.

"Cool," Sarah said.

The prince grinned, his mismatched eyes sparkling at her. "My father also uses crystals. His are transparent like my uncle's but his are tinted black," he said.

_Black_, Jareth scoffed. _Black like his black heart!_

"How about you, Tatiana? What does your magic look like?"

She smiled. "You've seen my magic, Sarah," she said simply.

"But… I didn't see anything…"

"Exactly," Tatiana said, grinning more broadly. Sarah's face crumpled in confusion so she said, "I'm not a big fan of all the bullshit that comes with magic. I don't need a crystal that will turn into an elephant. I just need the elephant. You know?"

Sarah looked at her through quizzical brows and said simply, "No."

Tatiana laughed. "What I mean is that I don't like having that middle step. I'm a big fan of the whole 'instant gratification' thing. And personally, I think it's too much hassle and just an opportunity to be a show off like these two here," she said, playfully nudging her brother and nodding at her nephew.

"She gets that from my father," Jareth said. "He wasn't 'overly dramatic' either when it came to his magic. My mother, on the other hand, loved that kind of stuff. She used crystals of all sizes and colors. I suppose the form you magic takes has a lot to do with genetics."

Tatiana rolled her eyes at her brother. Her gaze flickered over to the clock on the opposite wall. _Where had all the time gone?_Jareth noticed his sister's expression. He was just about to reorder time when she shot him a look as if to say 'Don't you dare! I'm exhausted.'

She stood up from her chair and said, "It's getting late. I'll escort you to your room, Nicholas." Then turning to Jareth she said, "Jareth, Sarah doesn't know her way around your castle yet. How about you escort her to her chamber?" She winked at her brother while Sarah gazed up at her incredulously.

The horror on her face didn't go unnoticed by either man at the table. The Goblin King frowned at her displeasure while something flickered across the prince's face. Amusement?

Nicholas stood up from his chair, but not before flashing a smoldering look at Sarah that mad her puddle in her chair. He joined his aunt and they left the room.

This left Sarah and Jareth alone. The latter was practically giddy with that knowledge. The former was more disgusted than anything else.

The two of them stood up from their seats. Jareth offered Sarah his arm again. This time, however, she ignored it and headed for the exit. He scowled at her rejection but in a few strides he was at her side again.

They walked silently through the Escher room, Jareth musing to himself and Sarah simply being stubborn. Jareth smirked at her expression. Her full lips were pressed tightly in a thin line and her green eyes focused straight ahead, refusing to look at him.

"So I'm the only one you won't talk to, eh?" he asked, his voice amused.

Sarah continued on, refusing to acknowledge the fact that she heard him. If she learned anything from her past experiences with the Goblin King, it was to watch her mouth. It almost always wound her up into deep trouble and she didn't trust herself to say anything to get her out of the mess she was already in.

"Oh, don't pretend you didn't hear me. I know you did. You're not that good of an actress." He said all of this to spite her, to work up her fiery spirit that he loved so much.

Still she said nothing, though her dainty hands clenched into fists at the insult. Her eyes swiveled up to meet his for a brief moment. He was obviously enjoying taunting her so much. She glared at him then turned her eyes forward again.

The Goblin King chuckled. "Fine, Sarah. Be stubborn. It only makes this more fun for me."

They continued walking, Jareth occasionally saying things to her that would work her up all for his own enjoyment. He smiled wryly. _Tatiana's right. I do have a funny way of showing my affections. But I just can't help it. It's too much fun!_ He chuckled to himself again.

Sarah, meanwhile, was a little lost in thought. _It has never taken me and Tatiana this long to get to my room. What is that stupid king up to?_

Almost as if he was reading her mind, Jareth smiled cruelly. He was wondering how long it would take Sarah to realize he was walking _almost_ aimlessly through the Escher room. They would _eventually_ get to her room. But he wanted to extend the time for as long as he could. In fact, he was almost to her corridor. They had been going at this for nearly an hour after all.

Sarah fumed silently until he finally led her to her room. She opened the door and nearly closed it when he said, "What? No kiss goodnight?" He snickered inwardly.

She stared at him incredulously and exclaimed, "Ugh!" before slamming the door in his face.

Normally, Jareth wouldn't be deterred by a mere door. He could easily reappear in her room. But he figured he had ruffled her feathers enough for one night.

* * *

Nicholas was leaning against the stone wall of his chamber. One of his frosted crystals was in his hands and he was listening intently to a voice coming from it.

"Hmm. If what you say is true, then I think the champion of the labyrinth could be very useful to our cause. Do you think she will help us?"

"Yes, I have a strong feeling she will be most eager to aid us," Nicholas replied to the crystal.

"Excellent. I'm trusting you, Nicholas."

"Yes, sir." And with that the crystal disappeared.

Nicholas stood there thoughtfully. He summoned another crystal. Sarah's face swam into view. He smiled at her loveliness.

"Yes… I believe dear Sarah will be _very_ helpful to me indeed."

**Author Note**: Okay! Just a heads up to all my lovely readers out there, things are gonna start getting juicy!

**Moi**: (rocks out)

**Jareth**: (raises a funny-looking eyebrow) What are you doing?

**Moi**: I'm listening to Disturbed. (Love them!!)

**Jareth**: Yeah, well I'm getting disturbed listening to them.

**Moi**: (rolls eyes) Nice pun Señor Fluffy Mullet. Very original. Why don't you make yourself useful and tell our lovely readers to review. (rocks out again)

**Jareth**: Okay then… Review I guess…


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. Not a thing. Well except the delicious Nicholas. Hands off. He's mine.

**Chapter 9 Three-Point Perspective**

Sarah pressed her body against the door as if to brace herself for it to open again. She turned her head, inclined her ear to it, and listened. She could hear the faint sound of footsteps through the door. As the moments passed by, they grew fainter and fainter. Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief when she could no longer hear anything.

_Strange_, she thought. _I never would have thought the Goblin King would be deterred by something as trivial as a_ door.

_How does he do it? How does he find all these ways to get under my skin and drive me crazy? It's not fair! He knows what will drive me up the wall and I can barely ruffle his feathers. _

Sarah grinned wryly at the irony of her last thought. Exhaustion suddenly swept over her. She walked over to the wardrobe, picked out a nightgown without looking at it, and changed for bed behind her screen. Numbly she walked over to her bed and crawled under the covers. The sheets were pleasantly cool this evening which was all the better for her to drift off to sleep...

* * *

It was a familiar scene. The walls glittered in the light of the sparkling crystal chandeliers. Strings of jewels draped themselves from the cathedral ceilings. Small tables and chairs lined the walls for guests to relax after waltzing about the large ballroom. An ornate clock with thirteen hours instead of twelve hung in a prominent position. Music was playing and all around guests in extravagant costumes were laughing, dancing and over all having a good time.

Sarah found herself in the middle of it all. She was once again in her shimmer ball gown that was identical to her porcelain doll at home. She gazed around, searching. But she didn't feel frantic like last time. This time she felt an odd sense of peace.

She wove her way through the waltzers, careful not to get in their way or get her feet stepped on. A small smile crept onto her face when she found what it was she was looking for. The Goblin King stood there in the same blue velvet coat and matching blue streaks in his blonde mane as the last time. He (of course) was surrounded by a number of beautiful Fae women. Though, he paid no one in particular a great deal of interest.

His eyes fell on Sarah. He took in her appearance for a moment then swiftly excused himself from the ladies and walked straight to her. Without a word, he swept her into his arms and guided her across the dance floor.

Sarah didn't even have to think about what step came next in the dance. She just seemed to know. No. She could feel it. Buried deep in her bones, she knew each movement as if they had rehearsed it a thousand times. It came almost as a second nature to her. And even more naturally came the feeling of being in the Goblin King's arms.

Somewhere in the back of her head her subconscious was screaming at her for dancing with him. _He is your enemy!_ it screamed at her, trying to snap her out of her trancelike state. _Oh, shut up_, a stronger part of her mind said in reply. Something in his eyes told her she need not fear. He had no intention of harming her.

Their bodies moved as one to the music. Her movements were an extension of his. Not once did they exchange words. Their eyes conveyed it all: their movements, their wills… their desires.

Sarah became vaguely aware that the other revelers had stopped to watch. It didn't really bother her. In her peripheral vision she could see the group of Fae women that had been throwing themselves so shamelessly at the Goblin King earlier. They were now glowering with jealousy. Sarah grinned to herself at their expression. Priceless.

The Goblin King's gaze never left Sarah's. It was so penetrating, as if he could read her every thought. At such close proximity Sarah could see every fleck of gold in his brown eye and every glimmer of silver in his blue. _Hmm. I never noticed before. They're really quite beautiful. _

Suddenly, his gaze wavered and he stopped dancing. His gloved hands let go of her hand and waist. She looked at him questioningly. He didn't meet her eyes but turned his attention to something behind him… something Sarah had not noticed until now.

Behind the Goblin King was a younger version of him. However, his hair was shorter and his eyes were brown and tawny-gold. He smiled dazzlingly at Sarah. Her heart skipped a beat. _Nicholas_.

"May I cut in?"

Jareth didn't answer. He merely bowed and walked away. Sarah watched him go until she felt a hand on her waist, pulling her close. Her eyes met Nicholas's smoldering gaze. She was like puddy in his hands.

He twirled her across the marble with as much grace and skill as the Goblin King. But his gaze was dark with an emotion Sarah had never encountered in her own life.

As the song drew to a close, Nicholas whirled Sarah into a tight embrace then dipped her as the last notes sounded. It knocked her breathless. He was panting as hard as she was. Her eyes searched his. Slowly, to heighten her anticipation, he inclined his face, his lips to hers…

* * *

Jareth awoke, gasping.

Beads of cold sweat covered his lean body. His frame trembled as he looked around the room. No, he wasn't in the crystal ballroom. He was just sitting on his king-sized bed in his bedroom chamber.

But that dream… it felt so real. But could he really call it a dream? It certainly started out like one… a wonderful on at that. But that ending! How truly nightmarish it was for him to stand there, hiding behind a pillar, watching his beloved Sarah dance with the son of the devil. And then to have him kiss her! Well… almost kiss her. Jareth hadn't actually stayed asleep long enough to watch them completely close the gap between them. But it still implied the same thing. Nicholas tried to kiss Sarah and that was just as bad.

He couldn't get the way Sarah looked at Nicholas out of his mind. It was so unguarded, so trusting. And then something more. There was blatant attraction. He wanted to say that Sarah looked at him the same way but knew he honestly couldn't. He knew the strongest emotion she felt towards him was loathing. And rightfully so. If only she knew the half of it.

Jareth summoned a crystal into his hand. It sparkled dimly in the moonlight. Sarah's serene face swam into view. She looked as if she was having a wonderful dream. _Well, ol' boy, you know it isn't about you_, an inner voice said ruefully. Jareth sighed in agreement. He had not seen Sarah sleep so peacefully since she first entered her labyrinth. _It's probably about that good-for-nothing Nicholas_, the voice continued with a hint of acid in its tone.

Jareth frowned, staring into the crystal again. Sarah was murmuring something. He struggled to read her lips. A name. _Nicholas_.

"Bah!" Jareth exclaimed, throwing the crystal across the room where it shattered against the wall and turned to dust before hitting the floor. "Why is Sarah charmed by everything in my labyrinth except me?" he wondered aloud.

_It's not just you. She hates the Bog and the cleaners too_, the inner voice amended.

"Not helping," he answered aloud. _Bloody hell! I am talking to myself!_ Jareth, now facing the fact that his mind was slightly fraying, was more frustrated than when he woke up.

He needed to get out, to clear his head. He climbed out of bed and headed for the window. He threw a wistful glance at Sarah's tower, spread his arms, and dropped.

Moments later a regal barn owl flew off into the night.

* * *

Nicholas reluctantly stirred awake from his slumber. Such a disappointment. It had been such a lovely dream. Well not the first part. He wasn't too fond of watching that alluring human, Sarah, dance with his loser uncle. But he rather liked the second part. It was a pity he awoke when he did. It was getting really good.

_Oh well_, he thought. _Dreams_ _never seem to do a kiss justice anyways_.

But it was just as he was about to kiss Sarah in his dream that inspiration struck him (at a most inappropriate time at that).

The ball. It was perfect. Nicholas couldn't think of a better way to set what needed to be done into motion. The problem was that it was not for a couple more weeks and his master was growing impatient… as was Nicholas. Then there was the matter of Sarah.

Nicholas was positive that Sarah was the key to his mission. The sooner he could convince her to help him the better. But there was more to it. He had always been told that humans were dull and ugly… neither of which was Sarah. He was strongly drawn to her. He had been attracted to Fae women before but never had he experienced this kind of magnitude. Deeper than lust… yet still far too shallow to be considered love. Whatever it was, it had Nicholas intoxicated.

He summoned a frosted crystal to his hand. Balancing it on the tip of his finger, he gazed at Sarah's dreamy face. She mouthed something in her sleep that he didn't quite catch. Though, it looked an awful lot like a name.

She murmured it again. This time Nicholas could distinctly make it out. _Jareth_. His knuckles turned white as he crushed the crystal in his hand into powder.

This will not do. He needed to move fast. It was plain to see a couple more weeks could ruin everything. He was going to have to find a way to move the date of the ball up. But to do that, he would have to convince his uncle. There was no way Jareth would change the date. Not for Nicholas. But maybe…. He would have to further evaluate the situation first but that would work. It had to. The fate of the Underground depended on it.

**Author** **Note**: HELLO EVERYBODY! Thanks everybody for the reviews. Some of them were hilarious :-) I hope you all are enjoying my love-triangle (I love love-triangles) Man does this triangle get more twisted as the story goes on. Unfortunately for all our fangirls out there, Jareth had a difficulty sleeping (as I'm sure you all gathered from this chapter) so he will not be making an appearance to talk to me in this installment. I hope that won't stop you from sending me your lovely reviews.


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Labyrinth. Nor do I own Edward Cullen (_damn!_) but he owns my soul. Bite me, Edward Cullen. BITE ME! (sorry… my obsession with Breaking Dawn and consequently Twilight have seemed to seep into my work… how ever did I manage that?)

**Author Note: **I decided to post this next chapter now for a few reasons. Long story. The gist is that I have recently moved and now have some unexpected homework for my new school. So I may be away for a while but I wanted to get this one posted. I'm currently writing the next chapter. I'm looking at 3 or 4 more chapters depending on if I want to combine a few events into one chapter or if I want to divide them into two separate chapters. I guess we'll see. Without further ado, here is Chapter 10. Enjoy.

**Chapter 10 Mornings of Gold**

The clouds hovering above the Underground began to lighten. Night's spell was fading and dawn was on the verge of breaking. On the horizon the stars' glimmer began to bow before the mighty sun's glow.

Tatiana sighed. On the one hand, there was nothing like an Underground sunrise. You could live there a hundred thousand years and it would still take your breath away. But the symbolism of such a dawn never failed to make her feel inferior. The dawn was mocking her.

Her hand lightly touched the pendant hanging from her neck. It looked so odd there. The delicate, silver chain and the crystal were at odds with the harsh lines of her leather coat, satin corset, skin-tight pants and thigh-high boots.

The Northern Star. That's what she was. The least of the ruling celestial bodies. In her parents' eyes Maximus was the Sun, Jareth was the Moon, and she, Tatiana, was the Northern Star. Doomed to be third rate. Doomed to, in essence, bow before the Sun and Moon's will.

She loved her brothers. But deep down she resented them. _No, it's not them. It's the fact that they can be more than they were born to be. They hold that power. You don't_, she reminded herself.

Even before Jareth was born she was always referred to as her father's Northern Star. She was never first or second. Always third. Third after someone who didn't even exist yet. Talk about pathetic.

Tatiana turned her eyes once again to the glowing sky. More and more stars faded from the horizon. She was sad to see even her star was winking away into the background.

"Do you succumb to another's will too?" she asked the unresponsive sky.

She hung her head, leaning against the terrace rail, only to look up again moments later. This time, however, she did not gaze at the fading stars. Off in the distance she could see an owl heading in the direction of the castle. It was Jareth of course. But something was very off. His normally graceful glide was choppy and his elevation was inconsistent.

"Oh, great," she muttered. "What's wrong now?"

She watched Jareth's owl form fly through his window. She sighed. _Well, better go check on him_, she thought.

Tatiana materialized moments later in Jareth's bed chamber. There on the cold stone floor, lay her younger brother, still in his pajamas. She rolled her eyes and waved her hand. A bucket of water appeared from thin air, levitated over his head, and then finally dumped its contents over the Goblin King's face. He groaned. She knew it probably wasn't the most tactful way to wake him, but she was in no mood for etiquette today.

"What did you do that for?" he demanded, sitting upright to glare at his sister.

"Why were you out flying all night?" she retorted. Her hands were on her hips and she gazed sternly at her brother.

"What are you? My mother?" he replied. His tone was harsh but the twinkle in his eyes broke through his cold façade. She grinned. They were both past evasions now.

* * *

Sunlight poured like honey into Sarah's bed chamber. She sighed, stretching her limbs and smiling. She hadn't slept that well in over a year. It felt like ages since she'd actually felt rested in the morning.

There was no clock in her chamber for which to tell the hour with. Sarah shrugged at this trivial matter. Even if there was one, she wouldn't have understood it. Underground time, while fairly straight forward, still confused her with the addition of a thirteenth hour.

She crawled out of bed and padded over to her window. The cool stone felt marvelous on her bare feet. It jilted the last traces of sleep from her being and alerted her senses. Not once had Sarah ever woken up to a morning and felt so… alive.

Sarah took her seat on the window's ledge and gazed out across the expanse of the labyrinth. Everything—the twisting walls, the emerald treetops, even the muck and grime, littering the Goblin City—was painted in the golden sun's rays. The last time Sarah had truly looked at the labyrinth, it was dreary, foreboding. But as she sat there, watching the golden beams trickle through gaps in the stone walls, it took on new life. True, the light couldn't reach every corner, every nook and cranny. But that's what made it so interesting. No longer did it seem so one-dimensional to her. There was dread, fear, despair. But there was also hope, mystery and wonder.

A smile played at the corner of her mouth as she mused silently to herself. _I wonder if this is what he meant by 'mornings of gold'_. Unconsciously, she combed her fingers through her hair, humming a soft tune from a distant dream…

"Well, you seem to be in a pleasant mood this morning."

The voice startled Sarah.

She turned around to find Nicholas, leaning against the frame of her door. His mismatched eyes were warm and liquid. A smile graced his lips.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, very much aware of her heart's uneven thumping.

"Tatiana sent me to see if you were awake. She also says that uncle sends his apologies. We all have to fend for ourselves for breakfast this morning." He slinked closer to her, fluidly sitting opposite of her on the ledge.

"Why?" she asked. Her voice was breathless; it might have been because of his close proximity or it might have been the sweet scent rolling from his skin—like cedar and musk. She wasn't sure which.

"Apparently, Jareth had a rough night's sleep and Tatiana is insisting he rest this morning," he replied, absently juggling a crystal in his hands. "So how hungry are you?" he asked, admiring the way the sunlight made her emerald eyes sparkle.

Sarah shook her head. "Not very," she answered.

He smiled. "Then, will this do?" He tossed the crystal in the air and caught it a moment later. Only, it was no longer a crystal. In his palm was a round, juicy green apple.

She looked from Nicholas to the apple and back again. "It's not drugged is it?"

He grinned. "Naw. I only drug peaches." Despite herself, she grinned too.

"So you heard about that, huh?" she asked, taking the apple from his hand and taking a small bite. Nothing happened.

"Yes, I did hear about that," he said, smiling. "But I wonder…" his voice trailed off as he looked out the window.

"About?"

"What was it like?" His eyes didn't leave the labyrinth. "What was it like going through all this? I mean, I've heard the stories. But as gossip gets passed along, the truth tends to get a bit misconstrued."

"I'm sure whatever gossip you've heard is far more interesting than the truth is."

"Perhaps," he shrugged. "But I do like having my facts straight. And what better way to do that than to get a first hand account?" His eyes were probing, smoldering underneath his surprisingly dark lashes. Sarah felt like she had to look away.

"What do you wanna know?" she replied before taking another bite.

"Well, let's start at the beginning. How did you end up in that mess to begin with?"

Sarah laughed without humor. "I was pissed off at my stepmother." In hindsight she could see it had nothing to do with Toby and had everything to do with Irene. "She always assumed I had no life. She was right most of the time," she admitted grudgingly, "but it was still insulting."

She paused to make sure he was still listening. Their eyes met. His intent gaze made her flush momentarily before she continued. "Once again I was stuck at home watching Toby. I suppose I wasn't fair to him," she mused. "I was already angry with Irene… but he wouldn't stop crying. It was madness!

"I finally lost it. I had no idea that in wishing him away, he would actually disappear! How was I to know?

"And then your uncle showed up. He tried to make me forget about Toby. He even offered me one of his damned crystals saying 'if you turn it this way, it'll show you your dreams'. Who needs dreams when you're stuck in a nightmare? When I refused, he gave me thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth and save my brother." Sarah's eyes stared across the labyrinth again. But she did not see the ever-changing walls. Instead, her mind was in a different time, different place, and slightly different Sarah.

"So, what happened next?" Nicholas asked, pulling Sarah back to the present.

She smiled. "The Goblin King wasn't kind enough to even show me the entrance to his labyrinth. Luckily for me, Hoggle was. Though, he certainly was reluctant about it."

"Was Hoggle the dwarf you supposedly became friends with?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Just wondering. Go on. What then?" He grinned at her, causing her heart to stutter. It took her a second to calm down before she went on with her tale.

"The first obstacle I faced was in the outermost layer of the labyrinth. It was this endless corridor that just went on and on. Or so it seemed. If it weren't for a fuzzy, blue worm, I wouldn't have ever found an opening."

"I'm sure you would have found an opening eventually," Nicholas replied soothingly.

"I doubt it. At the time I was too blind with anger to really see anything. It only added to my frustration."

"I see. So you found your way out of the endless corridor. Then what?" Sarah was surprised by how Nicholas seemed to hang on her every word. She couldn't have possibly been _that_ interesting. Regardless, she continued.

"It finally started to look like a real maze. I used my tube of lipstick to mark where I had been and which way I had gone so I wouldn't get lost. But I found out that someone had been changing my marks. Not only that but the walls, themselves were changing!

"That's how I came across the guards that spoke in riddles. They said that one guard always tells the truth and the other always lied but I could only ask one of them one question. I thought I had the riddle figured out but when I walked through the door, I fell into a pit full of hands. 'Helping Hands' they called themselves. They gave me the choice of going up of down. I was a fool and chose down. It landed me in an oubliette.

"It was pitch black all around me aside from the narrow beam of light from the tube I had just fallen through. I was surprised to hear Hoggle in there too. He offered to take me back to the entrance of the labyrinth but I bribed him to take me as far as he could go into it instead.

"He led me through semi-dark tunnels. Along the way we came across false alarms. They looked like Easter Island heads telling us we were going the wrong way. According to Hoggle, that meant we were headed the _right_ way. Further in we came across what looked like a beggar-goblin of some sort. It turned out to be none other than your uncle in disguise."

Nicholas leaned forward, eager to hear more. "Really? What did he do? Was he angry?"

"Very," Sarah answered. "He even threatened to throw Hoggle into the Bog of Eternal Stench."

Nicholas wrinkled his nose. "I can imagine how awful that would be."

"Trust me. Whatever you imagine… it's ten times worse."

"I'll take your word for it. So what happened nest? Jareth didn't throw this Hoggle fellow into the Bog but he must have done something." His voice had an expectant edge to it. It made Sarah smile smugly.

"Of course he did _something_. He took away three of my hours and sent the cleaners after me and Hoggle."

He winced. Nicholas had heard the infamous stories about his uncle's cleaners. If one was stupid enough to be in the cleaners' path, you would either be crushed or tore apart, limb from limb. Preferably the first.

"Why on earth would he do that?" he wondered incredulously.

"Well," Sarah said sheepishly, "I sort of insulted his labyrinth."

"No! What did you say?"

"I kind of said it was a piece of cake. It probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done."

"Probably," Nicholas agreed, shaking his head. "So how'd you escape _that_?"

"Hoggle and I ran like hell. Soon there was no where left to go. Hoggle was so certain that it was the end but I really wasn't ready to die yet. There had to be another way out. There always is in this place. I tried pushing on the wall, hoping it would give way to some secret passage or something. At the last possible second, it did. Thank goodness for that."

And so Sarah continued, detailing her adventure through the labyrinth. She described how she found Ludo, winced at the memory of nearly being dismembered by the Fierys, and wrinkled her nose in disgust when she recalled the Bog. When she told of Hoggle's betrayal and the peach-induced ballroom dream, she blushed furiously. That particularly spiked Nicholas' curiosity.

"What is it?" he asked, smirking at her expression.

"Nothing," she replied lamely.

"I'm not buying that. There's something up and you're going to tell me what." He crossed his arms across his chest and waited expectantly.

Sarah huffed. "Okay, okay. I just had a similar dream like that last night. No big deal." _Though, it was a pity I couldn't have slept long enough_ _to_ conclude _it_, she thought unhappily.

Nicholas didn't press her for more information regarding that. He remembered the name that she had murmured in her sleep and he wasn't happy about it. A frown remained on his mouth as she described the junk ladies, the battle in the Goblin City and her struggle through the Escher room. But as she reached the climax of her story, he became much more eager.

"Fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your _slave_." Sarah held her half-eaten apple out in front of Nicholas just like the Goblin King had done the previous year and in all of her dreams since then. Her voice took on a posh, British accent but her face was overdramatic, mocking,

Nicholas roared with laughter. "And what did you do then?"

"At first I couldn't remember what to do. The whole end was playing out just like my book but I could never remember the heroine's last line. And then all of a sudden the words just sort of tumbled out of my mouth. I looked at him dead in the eye and said 'You have no power over me!'"

Nicholas' interested face fell slowly.

"What?" Sarah asked.

He frowned. "How anticlimactic."

She flushed and looked away. She had never really thought about it like that before. Of course, now that it was painted out to her, it was rather boring in comparison to everything else she had been through. But at the time it seemed so big to her. She stood up to the one thing that truly frightened her in the labyrinth. It all seemed so silly now.

"Don't get me wrong," Nicholas added hastily, reading the embarrassment and despair on Sarah's face. "Your part… was great. Very dramatic choice of words. Um… it's just my uncle's part was very weak. I mean, to let words defeat him… I'm sure you had even more detrimental attacks ready. He just couldn't handle your weakest one…" he trailed off lamely.

She smiled weakly at his attempt at consolation but said, "No, you're right. It really was anticlimactic. But what were you told? How did the gossip end my story?"

He grinned. "I was told that you pierced Jareth's heart… yet he some how miraculously lived. Much to the disappointment of my father, I might add."

Sarah's jaw dropped at this statement.

"What?" Nicholas asked. "It's not like it's a secret that they hate each other. The last time they saw each other was at my christening. I'm pretty sure there were some broken noses and black eyes to say the least when that whole affair was over.

"Speaking of…" he said looking at Sarah appraisingly, "why are _you_ here? You don't come across as on 'friendly terms' with my uncle."

"Oh I'm not. Believe me. It takes almost all my energy not to smack him every time I see him."

"Then why are you staying at his castle as his guest?"

She smiled ruefully. "I wouldn't say I'm a _guest_. More like a prisoner… well… substitute prisoner anyways."

He gave her a questioning look. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she tried to find the words to explain. Then she said, "You remember Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus from my story, right?" He nodded. "Apparently the Goblin King was angry with them for helping me through his labyrinth. He said it was treasonous. As punishment, he dangled them over the Bog of Eternal Stench by their ankles! It's been a year and I had no idea how long their sentence was but I couldn't leave them like that. Especially since it _was_ my fault to begin with."

Despite himself, Nicholas was in awe. "Wow. That was very selfless, Sarah. To subject yourself to company that you hate so your friends wouldn't have to suffer... that takes heart."

"I guess. But I miss my family! I miss my dad and Toby and my dog, Merlin. Heck, I might even miss Irene a little bit."

"I'm sorry," he said, placing his hand on hers. "Things will get better. Who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky and get to go home soon." _Though, I really hope not_, he thought to himself.

"Maybe," she replied softly. She secretly loved how her fingers tingled at the touch of his. Neither spoke for a long time. Instead, they sat silently, lost in their own thoughts, staring out at the blazing, gold sky.

* * *

Tatiana heaved herself into a chair. She downed a glass of cabernet without tasting it. It had been a long day. She ordered another drink and the goblins scurried about, afraid she might bog them like her brother if she didn't get her way.

She gulped her second glass more slowly, letting the wine stain her lips. But she still drank it too fast to really enjoy the taste. She had no food in her stomach and a hell of a lot on her mind.

"Poor Jareth," she slurred. She never had a high tolerance for alcohol of any kind and drinking her third glass of wine on an empty stomach sure wasn't helping.

"He sure was distraught about that dream he had last night," she murmured to the little goblin sitting at the bar beside her. It had drank three full, foaming tankards of goblin ale and yet it seemed unfazed. The little goblin nodded sympathetically at the pathetically drunk Fae.

It had been difficult getting Jareth to go to sleep. First he went on and on about his disturbing dream of Sarah. Then when Tatiana had talked some sense into him regarding that, he insisted he had duties to fulfill that he had no time to neglect. With the ball only weeks away, she couldn't honestly deny him that, even if he reordered time. Even still, she somehow managed to convince him to take one day off and rest.

Matters seemed to get worse when Nicholas barged in and demanded to know when Jareth planned on releasing Sarah. It surprised Tatiana when the Goblin King weakly answered 'she may go home whenever she wishes.' She was under the impression that he had little to no intention of letting her go anytime soon. Without explanation for his first inquiry, Nicholas then demanded the date of the masquerade be moved up to the earliest possible date. When Tatiana was about to object, Jareth said the earliest date possible was in four days. Without another word, the Goblin King drifted off to sleep. This left Tatiana to deal with the—most likely—angry guests who would have to rearrange their schedules because they planned their year around this just as Nicholas said. On top of all that, they had four days to prepare. Four days!

"What the bloody 'ell are they playing at? Moving the preparation time up from weeks to days! It's beyond insane. They both are," she said, gulping down another glass of wine. Somewhere in the back of her drunken mind, Tatiana knew she would regret this in the morning when she felt the hangover. But at the moment, she was perfectly content drinking her problems away next to the now two goblins; both inexplicably seemed to be wearing pink fairy wings.

**Author Note**: Thank you all (as always) for your support. We are nearing the end of our story. It's because of readers like you that make it all worth while. Man that sounds corny. Oh well.

**Moi**: Whatcha got there Jareth?

**Jareth**: (flips page of book) I was… curious what all these girls were obsessing over. I don't get what the big deal is about this Edward Cullen fellow…

**Moi**: (gapes) Edward Cullen?! I LOVE Edward Cullen!!

**Jareth**: What's the big deal? He's just a vampire that kills animals instead of humans.

**Moi**: But he's sooooooooo dreamy!

**Jareth**: And why do people think it's so remarkable that he's gone one hundred and eight years without sex? I've gone nearly two thousand years and have NEVER gotten a piece of action!

**Moi**: Oh wow. Ever considered online dating?

**Jareth**: (grumbles)

**Moi**: Maybe you have readers who would love to fix that for you. (to readers) If you want a piece of Jareth action, send me your reviews.


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**: I don't own labyrinth. Squeakadee on the other hand is my own personal stalker. I can't make him go away. Can someone help me?

**Author Note: **I am so, so, _so_ sorry for taking so long. Things have been beyond crazy for me lately. With school starting my updates will not be as frequent. Again, I'm sorry. We're coming close to the end of the story. Not including this chapter, there are three more to go. I can promise a lot is going to happen within these last few chapters. I hope you like it. Read and review.

**Chapter 11 Revelation**

A package waited expectantly at the foot of Sarah's bed when she awoke the next morning. The light pouring into her room was muted, gray rather than gold. She frowned at the sight of the clouds. But of course, not everyday could be so brilliant. There would always be clouds, too.

There was a note resting on top of the small package. Sarah picked up the crumpled parchment and read:

_Sarah, _

_We're working in the garden on the south side of the castle today. I have a little friend waiting to escort you there. Don't worry. I can guarantee they won't let you get lost. Hurry down when you're up. _

_-Tatiana_

_P.S. Sorry it's taken me so long to have your clothes cleaned. Here they are. You'll need them today._

Sarah put the paper down and picked up the package. It was wrapped in silvery velvet cloth that felt smooth and fluid between her fingers. However, it was poorly wrapped, lumpy and misshapen. Sarah could see a swatch of denim sticking out of the package's corner.

The corners of her mouth pulled down slightly into a frown. If Tatiana was anything, she was meticulous. It didn't seem like her to leave anything—even something as insignificant as a package—looking like a half-assed job. Regardless, she took the twine, securing the package together, and untied the knot, stroking her fingers across the velvet as she went.

She changed quickly and headed out her door. Just outside her room was a tiny goblin, staring at her with wide, glassy eyes. On its head was a metal strainer, much too big for its softball sized head. Its pointed ears were folded under the metal and hair curled at the tips. The scrawny creature grinned with pointed teeth at the sight of Sarah. She looked down at him and tried to smile back but it came out more as a grimace.

"Miss Sarah?" Its voice was high and squeaky. Had it been louder, it could have shattered glass with its frequency. Sarah winced.

"Uh…yeah. That's me."

"Squeakadee at your service, miss. King's sister want me to take you to garden."

"Nice to meet you, Squeakadee." How appropriate.

He flashed his sharp teeth at her again. "You follow me. I show way!"

As annoying as the little goblin's voice was, Sarah couldn't help but like the little guy already. He seemed so pleased with himself. At any rate, he seemed to know where he was going at least.

Sarah wasn't sure what to make of the sight that she found in the Escher room. Goblins scurried this way and that across the mind-boggling surroundings. There were shouting orders at each other in their either piercingly squeaky or shockingly low voices. Sarah couldn't quite catch what exactly they were saying but from the tenor of their voices, she picked up one key emotion that they all seemed to share…_panic_.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked, her eyebrows rising into her hairline as she watched the creatures run in circles.

Squeakadee seemed more collected than most. He calmly replied while they weaved through the goblins, "King move date of big party."

"To when?"

Squeakadee concentrated hard for a moment, counting on his fingers. "Three days from now." He held up four fingers.

"Oh, wow! Isn't that a tall order to fill?" They were out of the Escher room by now but the chaos didn't stop there. The throne room was just as bad, if not worse than the previous room.

Squeakadee shrugged while Sarah ducked, narrowly avoiding being scalped by a catapulted chicken.

"So why is everyone acting so crazy?" Sarah asked when they reached the safety of the south terrace.

"We have to help or else," the goblin said simply.

"Or else? Why? Will the Goblin King bog you if you don't?"

"Not king. His sister." That surprised Sarah.

"Tatiana? Why would she do that?"

"King's sister got loopy last night. Now, she in _bad_ mood. She scare me more than king," he said matter-of-factly as they made their way into the garden.

Of all the responses Sarah could have made, laughing seemed the most appropriate. The Goblin King was easily the scariest thing in the labyrinth—besides the cleaners, of course. Tatiana was as safe as a kitten compared to him.

That was where their conversation ended for they entered a small square in the garden and found Tatiana working. The little goblin bowed out and whistled his way back to the castle.

Tatiana was still sitting on the edge of a giant, rustic fountain that had seen better days. She was waving her hand absently in the direction of the rose bushes. Wherever she pointed, the bushes grew two times the in height. But these unnatural growth spurts couldn't hold Sarah's attention because her friend looked horrible.

Tatiana's silky, auburn hair was lackluster and carelessly pulled back. Her creamy, alabaster skin was haggard and sallow. Her full, pink lips were now white and cracked. The shadows under her eyes were almost bruise-like. And the strangest of all, her clothes were…normal—a _very_ bad sign.

"Oh, my gosh! What happened?" Sarah sat down next to Tatiana and looked at her with a concerned expression.

Tatiana half-smiled at her. It looked painful. "I had one too many drinks last night but I'll be fine."

"No! You should rest. You should—"

"There isn't time to rest, Sarah. There's far too much work to be done." She looked wearily at her as she said this.

"Can't your brother reorder time or something? I know he's done that tons of time to me."

Tatiana sighed. "He can but he won't."

"Why not?" Sarah demanded.

"Because he's not interested in having to relive hours all over again. Nor am I. We'd both rather get this ball over with. Which reminds me…I need to speak with him about something. In the mean time," she conjured a bucket full of soapy water and a scrubbing brush, "if you could clean this fountain for me that would be a great help." She got up to leave. "Oh, and don't worry about having to change water and all that nonsense. The bucket will do that for you."

"Sure, sure," Sarah murmured, disappointed.

"I'll be right back. Promise." She made a crossing gesture over her heart and turned on her heel. In a moment, she was gone.

Sarah sighed. She picked up the brush, drenched it in suds, and began scrubbing vigorously—perhaps too vigorously—muttering to herself all the while.

She couldn't tell but it seemed like a long time had passed and yet Tatiana was still nowhere to be found. It was times like this when she really wished she wore a wrist watch.

She tried to keep herself occupied by thinking about Toby, her father and Nicholas…especially Nicholas. But every time she thought of him, that strange dream she had two nights before crept into her mind. She wasn't even thinking about the second half of it—the half with Nicholas. No, it was the first part that occupied her thoughts. She thought about dancing so closely in the Goblin King's arms and that odd feeling of security, peace and—dare she say it—happiness. There was something so wrong about that mental picture and yet it felt so oddly right. Unfortunately, her thoughts were distracted when she heard rustling in the rose bushes…

"Ouch! That was my foot!"

"Ow! Thorn hurt!"

"Be of stout heart, good sirs. My senses indicate that our lady is over yonder."

"If that damn nose of yours leads us to the Bog again, I'll wring your neck, Didymus!"

Sarah's ears perked at the sound of the voices. Her heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be. Could it?

"Hoggle?" Her voice was barely louder than a whisper. "Ludo? Didymus?"

"My lady?"

"Sarah?"

"Sawah?"

There was more rustling in the bushes and then quickly three figures of varying sizes emerged. The first was a small, fox like creature on the back of a sheep dog. The second was a dwarf garbed in grubby clothes and a multitude of jewels including a very familiar plastic bracelet on his wrist. Finally, bringing up the rear was a large, orange, fury beast that was grinning from ear to ear.

It only took a moment to register what she was seeing. Then before they had had taken another step, her arms were around each of them at the same time. They stood like this for a moment until finally Sarah broke away, wanting to see their faces again. A grin slowly spread across her face as she finally believed her eyes. She embraced them once more saying, "I missed you guys so much!"

"We missed you, too, Sarah."

"It was like a piece of our heart was missing, fair maiden."

"Sawah back."

Sarah broke away again, saying, "What happened to you guys? I tried to call you. I—"

"We know, we know. And we're so sorry. We can explain," said Hoggle.

"It's a very interesting tale indeed," chimed Didymus.

"Sawah back," Ludo repeated joyfully.

"Well, why don't you tell me what happened," Sarah said, sitting once again on the fountain ledge, resuming her scrubbing.

Hoggle cleared his throat. "It was the day after you kicked Jareth's no-good-dirty-rotten butt at his own game. He summoned the three of us to his castle. I'll tell you what. This place was a disaster. You certainly did a number on it, kid." He grinned at her." So anyways, King Lord-of-the-Spandex wanted to discuss our punishments for committing 'treason'. He was real weird about it, though. Half-hearted. Like he didn't really care but wanted to make an example or somethin'.

"I really wouldn't call what he gave us 'punishment'. Next to being dunked in the Bog, locked in an oubliette, or being chased down by cleaners, it was positively tame."

Sarah raised an eyebrow at this. "What exactly were your punishments?"_ Didn't I see them hanging over the Bog by their ankles?_

"His majesty sentenced us to exactly one year of unguarded goblin mischief, to end at sundown on the anniversary of your triumph," Didymus said promptly.

Her brows furrowed. "Goblin…mischief?" she asked incredulously.

"Unguarded," the fox reminded her.

"What the hell does _that_ mean?" Her tone was cutting. The trio winced.

"Basically, those stupid goblins got to pull their pranks on us and we couldn't do anything about it. Pretty dumb if you ask me."

A range of emotions flashed across Sarah's face. The most prominent ones were bewilderment and disbelief. "What?"

"They weren't even that creative. Most of the time they either threw chickens at us or poked us randomly with forks."

"Wait. So you guys _didn't_ hang over the Bog of Eternal Stench by your ankles?" Her voice had a strained edge to it, taking her friends by surprise.

"Well…actually, yeah they did do that…on our last day. Probably wanted to go out with a bang of some sort. Now that was probably the closest we came to punishment."

"The head rush was frightfully uncomfortable but I don't know what you all are complaining about. Stench, ha! How utterly absurd. It was deliciously fragrant," said Didymus.

"Smell bad!" Ludo exclaimed, shielding his nose from the non-present stench.

"Too bad their one creative idea didn't last long. We were there for maybe five minutes when Mr. High-'n-Might shows up and ends our sentence an hour early. Bah! He's _so_ generous," Hoggle said sarcastically.

Sarah's jaw dropped.

The emotion that coursed through Sarah's body was beyond irrational. She _should_ have felt _relieved_ to hear her friends hadn't _really_ suffered. She _should_ have felt _happy_ to see them again after so long. Instead, she felt anger. Pure, unadulterated, irrational anger. Anger for being tricked, deceived, bamboozled and any other synonym her mind could produce for her situation. How _dare_ he?!

Her lips pressed together into a paper thin line. Her jaw clenched together and her knuckles turned white in her fists. Had it been anybody else who spoke next, they would have ended up in the rose bushes.

"Um…Sarah? Somethin' wrong?" Hoggle's gruff voice was nervous and Ludo and Didymus's faces were bleak.

Sarah carefully composed herself, hiding behind a cool façade. "Guys," she spoke slowly, "I'm so glad to see you right now but I have some urgent business to attend to."

She didn't wait for a response and in a moment she was out of their sight.

* * *

Large oak doors slammed against stone walls.

"Where is he?!" demanded Sarah, although the answer to her question was right across the room from her. The Goblin King was seated at a large desk littered with parchment, quills and ink bottles. Tatiana stood just behind him, hovering over his shoulder. One look at Sarah's expression and they both knew what was coming next.

Tatiana tried to play it cool. "Something wrong, Sarah?"

Sarah threw a withering glare at her then turned her wrath back to the Goblin King. "How _dare_ you?" she shouted in his face.

Jareth set down his work, folded his hands on his desk and waited. His expression was impossible to read, enigmatic.

"You no-good-dirty-rotten-son-of-a-bitch," she said, partially quoting Hoggle's earlier words, "you tricked me!"

"I have done that many times in our past relationship, Sarah. You're going to have to tell me what you're talking about or else I won't know which incident you are referring to." His voice remained reserved and even.

"My friends," she prompted, her voice barely more than a snarl. "You made it look like they were suffering some heinous punishment when all they really suffered from was ill-conceived goblin pranks!"

The Goblin King said nothing.

"I traded my life away, and for what? So your stupid minions couldn't pull idiotic jokes on them for another _hour_?"

Still nothing.

"Do you deny it?"

Quietly he said, "No."

No. Such a simple, one-word answer. And yet this simple word infuriated her more than anything else. She had been preparing for a fight on her way to his study—Squeakadee, once again, as her guide. She _wanted_ a fight. She wanted to scream all the hateful, nasty, angry thoughts she had been holding back since last year. But that was difficult to do when the Goblin King decided to act uncharacteristically passive.

She screamed again in anger and stomped out of the room, shoving past Nicholas without even looking at him as he came towards her from the opposite direction. He stood in the open doorway, looking stunned. Then he said to his aunt and uncle, "What the bloody hell's wrong with Sarah?"

* * *

Sarah glared at nothing in particular as she sat on her window ledge. Her blood still boiled hot under her skin. She wanted desperately to break something.

A soft knock at the door shattered her brooding silence.

"If you value your life you will turn around and leave me alone this second," she threatened. Her intruder ignored her threat and opened the door anyways.

"Sarah," the visitor said quietly, closing the door behind them.

Her ears perked at the sound of the melodic voice saying her name. She looked up and met his wary eyes. Her gaze softened a fraction.

"What do you want?" She tried not to sound harsh to this innocent bystander but there was still an edge to her voice.

"I just came to talk."

"About?" she asked, crossing her arms expectantly.

"Well…actually I came to say goodbye." Nicholas couldn't bring himself to look at her as he said this.

"What?" she spat incredulously.

"I have some urgent business that demands my immediate attention back home." She turned her back to him, stubbornly refusing to look at him. He sighed and sat opposite of her on the ledge like he did the previous day.

"I'll be back in a few days—just in time for the ball," he said, trying to appease her.

"I'm not going to the ball," she said without looking at him. "I refuse to have anything to do with the Goblin King of his stupid masquerade ball."

"You won't even go for me?" His words caught her off guard. Despite herself, she met his gaze. His warm-colored, mismatched eyes were half amused, half pleading. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly but she didn't answer. She wasn't even sure if he was worth it.

Slowly, he brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. "What's wrong, Sarah? Why are you so angry?"

"Do you really wanna know?" she asked.

"Would I be asking if I didn't?" he countered.

Sarah rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. Do you remember the reason why I'm here?" He nodded. "Well, I've been played the fool," she said.

His face crumpled in confusion. "I don't follow…"

Sarah sighed again and recounted what had happened earlier that day. Nicholas listened intently until she finished. All he could think of to say was, "Sarah, I'm so sorry."

"Why are _you_ apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong." She looked out her window again. "Gosh, it's times like these when I really wish the Goblin King would just…_disappear_."

Nicholas made no comment on her last statement. Instead he went back to his first request. "Sarah, please promise you'll be here when I get back."

"Where will I go, Nicholas?" she demanded. "It's not like I can leave. _I_ don't have that kind of power."

"Just promise."

"Fine," she muttered, exasperated.

"One more thing…"

"What?"

"Come to the ball."

"Why should I?" _What's so important about a dumb ball anyways_?

"Because it might be a real riot," he grinned deviously at her.

"Hmm…" She cupped her hand under her chin in mock-deep thought. Nicholas scowled.

"Oh, please, Sarah! Don't make me beg!" He took the hand cupping her chin into both of his and held it tightly. His facial expression didn't look pleading, however. The look in his eyes was confident; he knew she would cave.

Sarah rolled her eyes and huffed, "Fine. I'll make a brief appearance. But don't expect me to be all dolled up and wearing some fancy, princess dress. I'm showing up in these jeans and this t-shirt."

Nicholas's eyes scanned the holes in her jeans and the faded, stretched-out shirt and smirked. "As long as you're there, darling." Then he did something Sarah didn't expect. His smooth lips pressed firmly against her forehead. Her eyes widened and for half a second, her heart stopped.

Without a second look, Nicholas hopped off the ledge and sauntered out of the room, his spirits practically soaring.

* * *

It was a small gathering in the throne room. In other words…three people. They were there to see Nicholas off. Jareth didn't understand the necessity of it. Nicholas would be back in three days anyways. But Jareth couldn't find it in himself to care anymore. What was the point?

"Are you sure you don't want to stay Nicholas? I'm sure I could put you to good use," Tatiana said half jokingly. But only half.

Nicholas chuckled. "I'm sure you would which gives me all the more reason to go." Tatiana playfully punched her nephew in the arm. He pretended to wince in pain.

He then turned to his uncle.

"Thank you for your hospitality these past couple of days, uncle. I'm looking forward very much to your ball."

Jareth merely grunted in response—not the most eloquent answer for a king.

"Well," Nicholas said, "I suppose I should be going then." He bowed from the waist and then walked through the large stone doors leading outside. Tatiana threw Jareth an exasperated look and then ran after Nicholas.

"Nicholas, wait!" Her nephew was only a few paces ahead of her. A small part of him was reluctant to go. He turned and looked at Tatiana with questioning eyes.

"I wanted to talk to you about something in private," she half whispered.

Nicholas looked around to see that there was no one else present. He raised an eyebrow and said, "And what might that be?"

"I know what you're trying to do." His eyes widened. "I want to help."

* * *

No food. Minimal water. Definitely no talking. Guided by her own stubbornness, these became Sarah's new principles.

That night, Tatiana brought Sarah supper to her room, trying to alleviate the tension, no doubt. But Sarah took no notice to her or the food at all. Tatiana had expected as much. With a sigh she wondered how long Sarah could keep this up.

Three days.

It took three days for anything to change.

The third time Tatiana brought supper, she snapped.

"This has gone on far enough, Sarah," she said, slamming the tray onto the stone ledge. "This is ridiculous. Look, I'm sorry that you were tricked. But that's not Jareth's fault and it sure as hell isn't _my_ fault. If you would stop being so presumptuous about everything, you wouldn't have gotten yourself into this mess to begin with."

Tatiana paused during her rant, hoping Sarah would say _something_. After what seemed like a long time, Tatiana opened her mouth to speak again, only to be cut off by Sarah.

"You knew," she accused.

"Yes," she said, understanding, "I did. At the time when I found out my loyalty was to Jareth. While I didn't approve, I wasn't going to say anything about it. Even when I wanted to say something, I wasn't the right person to say it. So don't be angry with me."

"Why would he trick me to begin with? What was the point?" Sarah demanded.

"I'm not the person you should ask that question to. But if you would actually open your eyes and pay attention, then maybe you'll understand." With that said, Tatiana left Sarah without a second glance.

If she was being honest with herself, Sarah knew she wasn't angry anymore. Not really. In the past couple of days her irrational anger slowly ebbed, relief filling its void. It was her foolish pride that kept her shut up in her chamber, refusing food and giving Tatiana the silent treatment.

But Tatiana's words struck a chord. And although she hated to admit, she was right.

Sarah grumbled to herself as she headed for the door. She didn't want to do this but she knew that if she didn't do it right then, she'd change her mind about it later.

"Well, come on feet," she said before opening the door and leaving her room to find the Goblin King.

**Author Note**: Just a heads up for all you Nicholas haters out there. Be happy! The next chapter is strictly Sarah/Jareth fluff... yet still necessary to the story. Then the masquerade ball! I am uber excited about writing that chapter. Anyways please review. Oh and if there are any typos please let me know. I tried to catch them all but I am only human. Oh, and one more thing (I swear this is my last lil tidbit), check out my new one shot for Twilight entitled **Like Mother, Like Daughter** if you have the time. Anyways, thanks!


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Labyrinth. Yeah…that's pretty much it…

**Author Note**: Okay, okay. I know. It has been _ages_ since I updated this story. I had no idea how swamped I would be with homework when school started though. I promise to try to update as soon as possible. Anyways, this chapter is just strictly Jareth and Sarah with a lot of dialogue between them. I'm warning you now that it's not particularly "actiony". But the information in this chapter will play a major role in the story down the road (most likely in the sequel I'm planning). Please read and review. It would help me so much and give me the motivation I need to keep plugging along with this.

**Chapter 12 Understanding**

Jareth allowed his feet to carry him through the Escher room; there was an absent, almost melancholy rhythm to his step. He, himself, was not paying an ounce of attention as to where he was going nor did he honestly care. He did not walk to go anywhere particular. He walked simply for something to do.

It was finished. All the preparations—the decorations, the guest list, the hors d'oeuvres, the entertainment—were complete. After recent events, the Goblin King had welcomed the near impossible challenge of putting together a masquerade ball in a matter of days instead of weeks. Although Tatiana was insufferably shrill due to her meticulous need for perfection and an extended hangover, it was better than moping around, doing nothing.

He was ashamed of himself. He had been a coward, afraid to even see Sarah's face after their little confrontation. Not that Sarah was being any braver than he was. From what Tatiana said, Sarah had locked herself up in her room, refusing food and "being a big baby" as she had so delicately put it.

It wasn't until Jareth looked down and noticed the subtle change in pattern on the stone floor that he realized where his devious feet were taking him. This was the route to Sarah's room. He silently cursed himself, turned on his heel, and stalked off in the opposite direction. Then a soft voice froze him midstride.

"Goblin King?"

Jareth whirled around again and stared at her. For the briefest moment her expression was soft…then it turned reserved with just a hint of defiance in her emerald eyes. _Well, ol' boy, you truly are pathetic. Your feet practically carry you to her and you run away with your tail between your legs. She, on the other hand, she comes right to you with the same boldness that she always has when she looks at you_, he thought. Embarrassment seeped through his veins like ice. He shuddered.

Tension seemed to flow like electricity between the two of them. Both just stared at each other, neither one sure whether or not they should speak or let the other say something. Jareth assessed Sarah's expression. Beneath the layer rebellion there was reluctance and uncertainty. _What does she want?_

"Can I help you with something?" Jareth asked.

Sarah hesitated, deciding whether she should actually go through with this apparent insanity or if she should just turn around and bolt for her room. She chose the former. "Look, I'm not going to pretend that I'm not pissed at you for tricking me. It was stupid and didn't make any sense to me at all. But…that doesn't excuse my freaking out at you." She cringed as she admitted she was wrong. This was certainly a first for her. It was astonishing that she could find it in herself to keep going. "I was being an immature brat. And I'm…sorry."

The Goblin King barked a laugh. "Well this is different. And unexpected. Since when does little Sarah Williams apologize to her enemies?"

"Are you gonna accept my apology or not? Because I'm not interested in standing around listening to you make fun of me." Her brows furrowed as she scowled at him, intensity radiating through her eyes.

A mischievous smile twisted its way onto the Goblin King's sharp features. Once again inspiration had struck him at an inappropriate moment. However, this was too good an opportunity to pass up. Hopefully it wouldn't get him in too much trouble this time…

"Tell you what, Sarah. I will accept your apology if you accept mine," Sarah looked like she was about to accept but he waved his hand, cutting her off, "and _if_ you humor me with walk around the garden." The devilish grin was back on his face as he watched first shock spread on Sarah's face, then horror, then wariness.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why _not_?" he countered with a purr.

She bit her lower lip, considering. "Fine. I'll humor you with this silly jaunt around the garden." Despite herself, a smile slipped into her expression.

"Excellent. Then I am sorry for tricking you."

"Apo—"

"I'm not done, Sarah. I never did apologize to you for that little incident last year. I trust you remember?" His eyebrow rose, emphasizing his question.

She nodded her head, "Yes."

"Well then I'm sorry for that, too." To Sarah's immense surprise, he seemed sincere.

"Apology accepted, Goblin King."

"Thank you, Sarah. I hope that you and I could put our pasts behind us and perhaps start over?" He said the last part like a question.

A spark glimmered in her eyes and she half smiled. "I'd like that." She held out her hand to him. He grasped it for a brief second in his leather-clad hand. The spark in his eyes mimicked hers.

"Well, shall we?" Jareth offered Sarah his arm. She shook her head, politely refusing it. However, she remained close to his side, much to the Goblin King's amazement and pleasure. She couldn't explain why, though—not even to herself. It was like he suddenly had a magnetic pole to him that was impossible to ignore.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, speaking for the first time in minutes. They had walked in thoughtful silence through the Escher room and out of the castle. Neither had spoken though they both had much they wanted to ask and say.

"Why'd I do what?" he responded.

"Why'd you trick me? I mean, it was completely nonsensical. I can't even fathom why the great Goblin King from my storybook would want some spoiled-rotten brat to stay with him at his castle. What's that all about?" Her tone was teasing, playful even and her eyes were alight with youthful curiosity.

_It's probably better that I keep this conversation light_, Jareth thought, meeting Sarah's inquisitive gaze. _I doubt she's interested in knowing that I'm wretchedly in love with her_.

"Well, Sarah, if you must know, I live in a kingdom full of idiots." She snorted in response while his face took on a mock-serious expression. "It's not funny! You have no idea how insufferable it is to spend all your waking hours surrounded by creatures incapable of carrying a conversation outside the realms of goblin ale, sausage links, and, of course, chickens. And those who are capable of intelligent conversation are either bent on dismembering you, talking in riddles or just grumbling every time you come within a half-mile radius. Can you blame a man for jumping at the first opportunity at civil—or in your case—no-so-civil company?" He smirked at her scowl and elbowed her arm…as if they were old pals.

"But you have Tatiana. That has to count for something." She mentally winced when she mentioned Tatiana. She had a few more apologies to be making soon.

"Yes, I suppose you'd be right…if I ever saw her."

"What do you mean?"

"I see her maybe once a decade, more or less. I don't think she's ever managed to stay here for this long before. This _has_ to be a new record." He chuckled quietly, mostly to himself.

"How come she's never around?" This didn't seem like Tatiana's character to Sarah. She was under the impression that the bonds of brother and sister ran very deep for Tatiana and the Goblin King. It seemed out of place for Tatiana to ever be too far from Jareth.

"Tatiana prefers the thriving society of the Capitol in comparison to my band of idiots. Not that I blame her. I envy her, in fact. _She_ has the choice to be around them. I wish I were so lucky…"

"The Capitol?" Yes, Sarah was very inquisitive this night.

"It's the center of all the Underground. Everything—government, commerce, art, entertainment, learning—all of it centers itself there. Well…everything but this small sliver of land I am bound to call home."

"It's not so bad here," she said looking up at him as they strolled along the brick path lined with gargantuan flowers. "It's actually kind of nice when you're not sending the cleaners after me or making me smell that stupid Bog of yours," she laughed.

He half smiled. "I can't agree with you there. I'm bloody sick of this place. I tell you if it weren't for the fact that I'm bound to this place and the fact that my _brother_," he hissed the word like it was curse, "ruled the Capitol I would leave this place in a heart beat."

Sarah raised her eyebrows. "Oooh…that sounds like a story to me."

Jareth snorted, "Hardly."

"Oh, whatever! You cannot say something like 'I'm bound to this place' and not have some interesting story behind that statement."

The rolling of Jareth's eyes was almost audible. "I doubt such a story would interest you." Although, he knew very well that this kind of story _would_ interest her very much. He was just goading her interest.

Sarah gave him a long, exasperated look. He sighed and smiled at her. "Very well then. Did Tatiana tell you anything about my parents?"

"She said that they grew tired of immortality, so they chose to die."

"Anything else?"

"No. Not really."

"Well then at least you haven't heard this story yet. When my father was king of the Underground, all the lands answered to him…except one."

"The Labyrinth?" Sarah asked, catching on.

"Yes. Though, it certainly didn't look at all like this. It was very sparse and the inhabitants were much wilder than they are now—hard to believe, I know. Although it was technically under my father's control, he had no governor or lords overseeing it. There were times when he hinted to me that someday this land would have a ruler of its own. I never dreamed he intended _me_ to be that ruler. Even when I was a child the idea seemed preposterous to me. If anyone were to rule this land, it would be Maximus. He was the oldest, he was the one to inherit, it only made sense that he would also rule over the Labyrinth, too.

"And then my father lay dying on his deathbed. With his last breath, he bequeathed me the land of the Labyrinth, binding me to it. Maximus was horrified. When both my parents were gone he tried to conquer it for himself as king. Oddly enough the very soil rejected him yet welcomed me with open arms.

"I suppose I could leave it if I wanted to. But I can't simply because I don't want Maximus to have it. I'm selfish like that."

"Is that why you hate your brother?" Sarah asked quietly.

"I'll admit that's one of the reasons. But there are so many reasons for my despising him. One simply looses count." He tried to make this sound like a joke but Sarah wasn't amused.

"That's kind of sad, Goblin King. To hate someone and not even remember the reason behind it…that's pretty pathetic."

"I didn't say I couldn't remember _why_ I hate him. _That_ I remember with perfect clarity. I just can't remember how many reasons I have."

"Still he is your family…"

"Oh, and you haven't hated members of your family, Sarah?"

"Okay, could we please let go of the whole 'I-wished-my-baby-brother-away' thing already? That was a year ago and I was young and stupid."

"I wasn't referring to your charming brother, Toby. I was referring to your mother and your stepmother."

By this time they had found the rustic fountain where Sarah had seen her friends for the first time only a few days ago. Sarah sat down, giving Jareth a wide-eyed expression. How did he know about that?

"I told you earlier that I tire of my moronic company quite easily. It is for this reason that from time to time I go to the Aboveground to watch the people there. That's how I first came across you," he said, knowing without a doubt why Sarah had such a questioning look in her eyes. He sat down next to her and continued to explain. "You were interesting, even for a human, to observe. As most of the children your age grew out of fairy tales rapidly due to the cynical way your society works, you clung to them with a steadfast grip. Your mother would dress you up in costumes and she would read you stories. I came to expect this behavior whenever I came to watch your family.

"And then one day, your mother wasn't there. You didn't dress up in your costumes and for the first time, you looked older than you were. I didn't understand what had happened. Where was the charming family who all seemed to enjoy those little fairytales so much? Years went by and each time I visited your house, it was just you and your father. It eventually became apparent that he was seeing other women and all the while I could see hate in your eyes. Whatever happened to your family had left you scarred. I wanted to help you somehow but I had no clue how. I made myself a promise that if you ever wished for something you couldn't have on your own, I would grant it to you. Of course, then you had to go and wish your little brother away," he teased.

"Then suddenly there was a new woman in your house. She was shrill and bossy—nothing like your mother was. Oddly though, you started to believe in fairytales again. I couldn't understand it…and I still don't. Why is that?"

Sarah was overwhelmed with a bizarre sense of flattery. _Okay. You have lost it_, she told herself. _The Goblin King just confessed that he has been stalking you since you were a kid and you are flattered?! _"So let me get this straight. You've been watching me?" Even voicing her questions couldn't get the sane response she _should_ have had to register.

Jareth stared down at his boots sheepishly. "It was more observing than 'watching' per se. Your mannerisms were fascinating. Both you and your mother…"

At the mention of her mother, irritation flared up inside Sarah. What did he know about her so called "mother"?

"What do you know about her, huh? You didn't have to stand out on the front porch in the rain and watch _your_ mother drive away, waving happily as she abandons her family. You never had to wake up every morning and see her face in a photograph and realize every word she ever said was a lie. Did you?"

Sarah's hands balled up into fists and she kneaded them into her temples. This was the closest she had ever come to loosing it over her mother since that day so long ago…

Jareth was disgusted with himself for even broaching the subject with her. It so clearly caused her pain. His hand reached out to her, an attempt at a comforting gesture. Sarah saw him extend it to her out of the corner of her eye; she also saw him stop himself halfway, thinking better of it. What he didn't know was how much she wished she could have felt his arm wrapped around her, to know what it felt like to be taken care of, even for just a moment.

"What happened, Sarah?" He needed to know. What had happened to cause someone so special such pain?

"I thought we were happy," she mumbled. "I had seen kids' families break up all the time. But not mine. I never thought it'd happen to me. They were too happy together. At least, I _thought_ so.

"My mom and I used to go to the park all the time. She would play 'make-believe' with me. She would read me stories and tuck me in at night. She always said she'd be there for me, no matter what. That was before she left.

"I didn't know until later that in the early years of my parents' marriage, my mom had an affair with another man. He was her costar in the play she was performing. My dad found out about it after she had broken it off with the other guy. Still, he insisted that they attend marriage counseling. A few years later I was born. We moved into my current house. I thought we were happy.

"It was out of the blue. My dad was just sitting at the kitchen table one morning, sipping his coffee and skimming the newspaper. I was upstairs, brushing my teeth. My mom just marched herself downstairs and said to my dad, 'Robert, I don't love you anymore. I want a divorce.' What she didn't know was that I was standing on the landing of our stairwell when she said this. I heard the whole thing.

"The next day was a rainy Saturday. She had all her stuff packed and she was ready to leave. I remember sitting in my room, refusing to go and talk to her. Then I heard the car honk outside. It was the same man, the same man that had nearly broken my parents' marriage before I was even born. He was back to finish what he had started all those years ago. And yet, I couldn't hate him for it. I wanted to. I wanted to blame him for all the suffering that I had felt. But I knew that the responsibility for all this fell upon my mother—and she was thrilled to be leaving.

"At the last moment I ran downstairs, hoping I could convince her to stay. I couldn't. She said to me, 'Don't worry, kid. I'll see you around,' then she climbed in the guy's car and waved as she drove away. It's been five years and I haven't seen my mom since. Just some card and twenty bucks on Christmas and my birthday every year, as if she can't afford more. She's a Broadway star now, living in New York City, having the life we couldn't give her. The day she left was the day I stopped believing in fairytales.

"My dad wasted no time getting back out there and finding someone new. He brought home Shirley's and Nancy's and Vanessa's all the time. They were all too young and clearly just looking for someone to pay their bills. Then Irene came along. They had been dating for maybe two months before he popped the question. This couldn't be happening. Not her. Anyone but her. The thing was that it _was_ her. My dad went and picked the farthest thing from my mom imaginable: blonde, serious, strict, shrill. I still don't see what he saw in her. When my dad picked her, I picked up my story books again.

"After the wedding she was always on my case. 'Get your head out of the clouds, Sarah. Find some real dreams, Sarah. Stop being so difficult, Sarah.' She never gave me a chance. I was always a nuisance to her even on the odd days when I _tried_ to be good. To her I was just the remnants of a past relationship, unwanted baggage. It turns out I was just as easily replaced as my mom.

"With the birth of Toby came a new wave of torture Irene could inflict upon me: babysitting. She and my dad would go out almost every Saturday, always assuming I had no prior plans with friends or dates," Jareth grimaced at the word 'dates'. "I felt like Cinderella in a fairytale that wasn't going to come true.

"Then one night it got to be too much. I wished Toby away. You know the rest," she said, looking at Jareth for the first time since she began her reverie. She bit her lower lip and stared into his eyes which were uncharacteristically tender (at least she'd never seen them like that before). The corners of her lips pulled up into a weak smile. It had never occurred to her that she had, in fact, had a fair godmother…in a way. But instead of tutus and magic wands it was leather jackets and crystal balls. She snorted softly at the mental visual of the Goblin King in a ballerina's tutu and waving around a wand with a sequined star at the end.

"What's so funny?" he asked, trying to understand the emotional leap that occurred from her being near tears to suddenly laughing. She shook her head. "Tell me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's too embarrassing."

"Okay, now I _have_ to know," his mismatched eyes smoldered from under his fan of dark lashes. Her breath hitched and her mind suddenly went blank.

"What?" she asked.

"What are you laughing at?" he prompted slightly exasperated with her sudden vacant expression. What had just happened?

It came back to her in a flash and she giggled again. "You're my fairy godmother."

The horrendous mental image that had played in Sarah's mind danced identically in his. The poofy skirt and the magic wand exactly as Sarah had pictured it danced mockingly behind his eyes. Only his mind took it a step further and added glittery fairy wings. Oh the horror.

Sarah snorted at his expression. "I told you, you didn't want to know."

"Of all the things you could have been thinking, Sarah. Why _that_?"

"C'mon. You have to have read Cinderella." He didn't seem to understand the connection. "You know. Evil stepmother won't let the girl go out and have fun. Instead the girl is stuck at home. Then she makes a wish and the fairy godmother comes and helps her escape, even if it's only 'til midnight."

"And your point is…?"

"You did that for me!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "I mean, sure you took my little brother away and made me run an impossible maze to get him back and I almost got killed several times but you helped me get away! For the first time in my life I had a real adventure, not some daydream. It was real and you did that." Sarah was filled with awe as the truth of her words crashed on her like a thirty ton boulder. Her epiphany sent electric charges through her body, making her feel giddy. For some bizarre, unknown reason the Goblin King wanted to help her. Her. This mythical, frightening, beautiful creature that she believed could only exist in one of her storybooks wanted to help her. She couldn't wrap her head around it. That fact didn't bother her in the slightest.

Sarah leaned back and stared up at the stars. Then, a streak of light shot across the sky. "Look!" she said grabbing his hand without a thought to get his attention. "A shooting star! Make a wish."

"I don't need wishes," he said, staring down at the delicate hand that was covering his.

"C'mon, Goblin King. You're always granting my wishes. It's time you make one of your own," she said encouragingly. The high of her epiphany had shed new light on his character. To her he was no longer the conniving villain. Now he was someone in between, too devious to be the hero, but too good to be the villain. It was an interesting conundrum.

"Oh, okay. I wish—"

"No! Don't say it out loud! It won't come true if you do."

Jareth rolled his eyes in response. "You know, Sarah, you say your wishes out loud all the time and they _always_ come true." Sarah pursed her lips. "Fine we'll do this your way."

What could he wish for? He knew what he _wanted_ to wish for. But no amount of magic could ever give him that. But there was something he wanted that he could guarantee would happen, although he might have no part in it…

His thoughts became acutely focused on this one wish. _I wish…I wish for Sarah's happiness._

He opened his eyes to find Sarah staring at him with a wide-eyed, innocent expression. A smile slowly spread across her angelic features. "Well? Did you make a wish?"

"Yes. I wished that the goblins could get some brains." He laughed heartily at the impossible concept. Sarah playfully swatted his arm.

"It's getting late. And tomorrow is a big day. I should probably walk you back to your room."

"Oh, right. The ball's tomorrow, isn't it?"

"Will you be going?" he couldn't help but ask.

"If you want me there," she replied. It was a strange answer she admitted. Had she not already promised Nicholas that she would make an appearance? Nicholas wanted her there; that much was obvious. But it seemed entirely different if the _Goblin King_ wanted her there.

"Of course," he responded automatically, cursing himself for his transparency. IT was becoming very difficult for him to feign disinterest.

"Well then I'll be there."

They walked in silence back through the castle, both very much lost in thought. That is until they heard frantic footsteps on the stairwell…

"Jareth! Jareth, Sarah's gone. I—" Tatiana was at a loss for words when she saw Jareth and Sarah standing side-by-side, both looking at her strangely.

"Oh," she said, recollecting her thoughts. "So that's where you went. Um…I'm…gonna go now."

"Tatiana, wait."

Tatiana turned around to see Sarah's imploring face. "I'm sorry for the past few days. I've been such a brat. It was uncalled for."

"It's fine, Sarah. No harm done." Then she turned on her heel, effectively giving her little brother the last bit of privacy she knew he was craving.

They stopped at Sarah's door where they stood awkwardly for a moment, both unsure what to say.

"Sarah," Jareth said as she twisted the knob on her door, "would it be too much to ask if you'd save me a dance tomorrow evening?"

"Yes," she replied shyly.

"Yes, it'd be too much to ask or yes, you'll save me a dance?"

"Yes, I'll save you a dance." She smiled at his relieved expression…or what she thought was relieved.

"Well then," he said, "sleep well." He turned and walked away with a skip in his step.

Sarah wasn't fully aware of it then but something deep inside of her was changing. Her cheeks flushed and her heart sped up as she quietly closed the door behind her.

**Author Note**: Just a quick note. I finished this late at night and I really wanted to get it posted. Please let me know if you see any typos or grammatical issues, k? Thanks so much. :D We only have 2 chapters left of All's Fair in Love and War and next up is the Masquerade! Woohoo!


	14. Chapter 13

**Author Note: **Sorry, sorry, SORRY! I know it'sbeen ages since I've last updated this story. I'm not gonna even attempt to provide an excuse. Honestly, does anyone even remember what's going on in the story? Just a quick recap to be safe. Sarah got mad at Jareth. Nicholas went back to his father for a few days. During that time Sarah and Jareth made up and sparks flew between them. yay! Now it's time for the masquerade ball I've been promising. As usual I own nothing. **Read** and **Review** please!

**Chapter 13 The Mask of the Monster**

"Hold still. I'm almost done." Tatiana jabbed one final pin into Sarah's hair. "There. Take a look."

She turned Sarah's chair around so that she was facing the mirror for the first time in hours. A small gasp escaped Sarah's lips. That wasn't really her…was it?

It was.

Sarah's reflection was exquisite. Cascades of thick, ebony curls tumbled half way down her back. In them were priceless silver and bejeweled pins and combs, whose intricate design wove in and out of her hair. Her lips were like two rose petals pushed together in a full pout. And her eyes were lined with thick black lashes that fanned out in all directions.

On her willowy frame was a dress that she thought existed only in her dreams. Silk, satin and toile spilled out in all directions, accentuating all the right things and leaving her breath-taking. Although she was seeing herself with her own two eyes, she still didn't believe it. Surely it was just another dream. She pinched herself to see if it was real. The pain in her cheek confirmed her doubts.

"I did a great job, didn't I?" Tatiana said with a hint of smugness coating her tone. She, herself, looked nothing short of magnificent. Her thick, auburn mane was piled on top of her head in a maze of braids and tendrils. Her mismatched emerald and sapphire eyes had a sultry, come-hither look and her creamy skin had an almost pearly quality about it.

It was the first time Sarah had ever seen Tatiana wear a dress, let alone a skirt. Her gown was a deep midnight-blue made of soft velvet fabric. It wasn't nearly as voluminous as Sarah's but in its sleekness it had a provocative air that would undoubtedly be irresistible to every man in the room.

"Thank you so much, Tatiana. It's like I stepped out of one of my dreams."

"Meanwhile, every man will believe he _is_ dreaming when he sees you," Tatiana replied, smiling with pride at her handiwork.

"What time is it?" Sarah wondered, glancing out the wide window of Tatiana's chamber to see that the sun had already set and the moon was bathing the castle grounds in a silver glow.

"It's about half past nine," she responded with a shrug. "Why do you ask?"

"We're late!" Sarah said in alarm. The ball had started nearly an hour and a half ago. How could Tatiana lose track of time like that?

Tatiana chuckled as Sarah scrambled for the door. "Relax, Sarah. Haven't you ever heard of being fashionably late?"

"Yeah but—"

"But what?"

_But I'm irrationally eager to see your nephew, not to mention your brother…_

"But you should be down there, you know? Aren't you the hostess or something?" _What a flimsy excuse._

"Nope. That's all Jareth. And for future reference, the hostess is the lady of the house and since I neither own this castle nor am I married to Jareth—thank God—I can't be the hostess."

"Oh. Sorry." Sarah looked down sheepishly.

Tatiana laughed. "I'm just giving you a hard time. We'll go down to the ball if it means so much to you." She shot a sly glance at Sarah whose eager expression was impossible to miss. She grinned deviously at the sight.

They didn't use the same entrance as they did that first morning. Instead they entered the ballroom through a wide, ornate arch that Sarah hadn't noticed before. Of course, when you're in a place where your surroundings change on a minutely basis, such things should not come as too much of a surprise.

A grand staircase overlooked the vast ballroom with people in costumes of all shapes and colors. An orchestra was playing a lively waltz which the guests seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

Some of the dancers stopped as Sarah and Tatiana made their way down the marble steps. As they got closer to the bottom, Sarah could hear murmurs such as "beautiful", "magnificent" and "absolutely stunning." Her flush was obscured by the silvery mask Tatiana had given her that covered the top half of her face.

"The worst is over," Tatiana said under her breath. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that was a blatant lie.

"Tatiana?" came a warm, male voice from behind the pair. Sarah and Tatiana both turned and saw a tall man of medium build with glossy black hair hanging at his shoulders, tan skin, and warm brown eyes shining through his burgundy mask.

"Thade!" In an instant Tatiana's arms were around the man's neck as she hugged him closely. "It's so great to see you!"

"It's great to see you, too, Ta-ti. You look well," he said staring into her eyes intently.

"So do you," she said with a playful smile.

"Who's your friend?" he asked, glancing at Sarah for the first time.

"Oh, yes. Thade, this is my new friend, Sarah Williams. Sarah, this is my oldest and best friend, Thadeus Fidelis," she said, gesturing between the two.

"Call me Thade."

"Nice to meet you, Thade."

"The pleasure is all mine, Sarah. I take it that you are the famous champion of the Labyrinth?"

An obscured blush painted Sarah's cheeks. She nodded.

"Interesting," he said simply. Then he turned back to Tatiana. "May I have this dance? Or are you unwilling to leave your friend's side just yet?"

"Do you mind?" Tatiana asked Sarah.

"No, not at all! Go have fun," she encouraged.

Thade and Tatiana beamed at her. "Thanks. I'll see you a little later," she called as Thade led her out onto the dance floor.

_Perfect_, Sarah thought. _Now I'm free to look around for—" _

Sarah was startled at the direction her thoughts had taken. The overpowering urge to find the Goblin King was bewildering. So he wasn't as bad a guy as she originally thought. So what? That didn't mean she had to be so completely engrossed in the idea of seeing him. Yet as she contemplated this, her heart sped up into double time and her feet took off before she had consciously given them permission.

An odd sense of déjà vu settled in as she wandered through the mass of revelers. None of them paid her much attention except to mention briefly about how beautiful that mystery girl seemed to be.

At long last she found him. Contrary to her dreams, he was not, in fact, surrounded by a small group of Fae women. Instead he was busy conversing with a rather short, portly man whose face was turning a deeper shade of purple with each passing minute as he consumed his alcohol. The Goblin King looked rather annoyed and seemed as if he desperately wanted to be elsewhere. Yet he patiently nodded as the stout Fae gestured exaggeratedly to make some point or other.

Sarah giggled.

As if he heard the sound of her laugh, Jareth's head swiveled in Sarah's direction. He grinned at her with genuine happiness. Sarah bit her lower lip and smiled in return. He made a face that suggested he was about to excuse himself and come talk to her but stopped the same moment warm breath and a husky voice purred in Sarah's ear.

"I thought you weren't going to wear a dress," the voice teased.

Sarah turned around and came mask to mask with the speaker. The mismatched brown and gold eyes smoldered from the glimmering gold mask. Sarah's breath caught for a second.

"Hi, Nicholas."

"I was afraid you wouldn't come," he confessed.

"I said I'd be here," she replied indignantly.

"You look beautiful," he said. "Dance with me. "

He swept her into his arms before she could respond and held her close to his body. As he whirled her across the dance floor Sarah turned her head to have a clearer view of the Goblin King. He was once again feigning attention to the portly man but he looked…sad? Perhaps it was just Sarah's imagination but she could have sworn that his face looked crestfallen.

Jareth soon fell out of her range of sight as Nicholas led her farther away from him with the grace and poise of a master dancer. Nicholas' eyes smoldered down at  
Sarah as if hoping she would puddle up in his hands. It was almost too intense…like something was off…

"Would you like to join me somewhere where we can be alone?" he asked in her ear with a voice so velvety-smooth that it raised goose bumps on her flesh.

She nodded, unable to find her voice. When the song ended they slipped into the crowd of observers and casually made their way to the closest exit. Everything seemed to be in a sparkling haze for Sarah as she was led by the hand through the masses of people, as if she were under some wonderful spell. No one paid the young pair any attention as they slipped away with the exception of two different pairs of mismatched eyes: one with an ancient sadness about them and the other whose expression was absolutely unreadable.

The Escher room was silent except for the sound of their footsteps and the echoes of the party through the stone walls. Nicholas selected a private room at random. It would work as well as any other he supposed to himself. It was a relatively small room with a small collection of books, a love seat sofa and a fireplace.

Nicholas sat down on the sofa and patted the open seat next to him, inviting Sarah to sit down beside him. She sat; her skirt took up over half the loveseat. She grimaced. "Here we are," he said, settling into the plush seat.

Sarah smiled meekly. "So what's this all about?"

"Can't a man just want to be alone with the woman who's stolen his heart?" he asked in reply, his eyes smoldering at her again. She blushed. "You really should take off your mask, you know. I want to see your pretty face."

She smiled and hesitantly obliged him. He grinned, feasting his eyes when her face was uncovered. "It's your turn to remove your mask, Nicholas," she said. It wasn't so much that she wanted to see his face as she felt uneasy with him while he wore it.

"Fair enough," he said silkily. Soon his face was exposed, too.

Nicholas turned back to Sarah. His eyes darkened as they roamed across her face, down her graceful line of her neck, across her collarbone, down into the soft, subtly visible valley that was her breasts. "God, you're beautiful," he purred, inching closer to her.

She inched away.

_Hello! What are you doing, Sarah? He's hot!_ A part of her mind was saying exasperatedly to her that she was crazy to scoot away from him. _Yeah, but something seems so _off_ about him tonight,_ another part of her argued. Sarah couldn't help imagining the cliché of having a little shoulder angel on one side of her and a shoulder devil on the other.

_Off? What do you mean off? You've just had so little play that when a man is interested you freak out and run in the opposite direction. Same thing happened last year. All that's missing is a chair for you to shatter the—_

"Something's different about you, Nicholas. What's wrong?" Sarah said, stopping her mental argument short.

He scrutinized her face. Sarah half expected him to smile but he didn't. Finally he said, "You're right."

"I am?"

"I'm afraid I have a favor to ask of you, my dear. It's nothing hard, I promise. And it will most definitely benefit you if you help. I just didn't want to make you feel obligated."

_See. The only thing that was "off" was that he needed your help with something,_ the shoulder devil said smugly.

Meanwhile, Nicholas was edging nearer to her again.

"What is it that you need my help with?" Sarah asked, her breath hitching at his close proximity.

"I need your help getting rid of my dear uncle," he whispered before pressing his lips under her jaw.

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to see through the fog engulfing her mind.

"Let's just say that after tonight, the Goblin Kingdom will have a new king…and queen," he answered trailing kisses down her neck. His words had the opposite effect he desired. Instead of enticing Sarah they snapped her out of the haze that was over coming her.

"What?!" she demanded, yanking away from him to shoot outraged daggers at him with her eyes.

"Darling, whatever is the matter?"

"You can't do that to him! The Labyrinth is all he has and he's your _family_! Please, don't do this!" she pleaded.

"It's too late, darling," Nicholas replied simply.

Sarah's jaw clamped into a determined line before she said, "No it's not." With that she ran for the door but paused on the threshold to say, "Oh, and I'm _not_ your darling."

* * *

Sarah was amazed at how quickly she found the ball room again. The urgency in which she searched for Jareth set her heart beating twice as fast as normal. She prayed she could warn him before whatever Nicholas was planning took place. She found it immensely ironic that this time she would find him surrounded by a gaggle of adoring Fae women.

"Goblin King!" she called as soon as he was within earshot. He turned to her and the joyful smile that he bestowed on her earlier returned to his lips. Sarah found herself reaching out to him and when he wordlessly took her into his arms in a dance, she threw all prior aversions to him out the window and clung to him with all her might, burying her face into his chest.

Initially, Jareth welcomed Sarah's sudden closeness quite literally with open arms. But when he realized his beloved was trembling in his arms, he suspected something was terribly wrong.

"Sarah," he said putting a finger under her chin and tilting her face up to look at his, "what's troubling you so?"

As she stared into his warm brown and sparkling blue eyes, she felt an emotion much more powerful than anything she had ever experienced strike her heart. It was this emotion that caused a sob to build in her chest and bubble to her lips which she bit back forcefully. Now was not the time to cry. Not yet…

"Jareth, I need to speak with you alone. Please," her voice broke.

"Of course, but after this dance is over. You promised," he said, trying to make light of the situation.

"No, now! It's not safe here! You're not—" But she broke off at the abrupt halt in the song and the distinct _tink_ sound of a spoon tapping a champagne glass.

_No._

The guests all parted ways leaving Sarah and Jareth in the center of the room and Nicholas standing twenty feet away from them.

"Good evening, everyone," he said, "I hope everyone here is enjoying themselves. I know I am. You throw quite the gala, uncle," he said nodding his head in Jareth's direction. "And it is for this reason that I'd like to propose a toast to the man who has turned this savage sect of the Underground into an ingenious and mind-boggling maze and who finally found a good use for the goblins." The audience laughed. "To Jareth," he raised her glass, "_long live the Goblin King_."

In a matter of seconds, Sarah was ripped away from Jareth.

As Sarah struggled against her captors she glared poisonously at Nicholas who stood by and watched as the crowd surged in on Sarah and Jareth. She was furious with herself for not realizing sooner that the toast was nothing but a farce, a signal. Her gaze shifted to the Goblin King and her heart began to weep. He did not struggle against his captors. One had a sword pointed to his back and another was grabbing him by his hair and holding a dagger against his throat. Others had secured his arms and forced him to his knees. She expected him to be staring at his traitorous nephew murderously but his eyes were fixed upon her, soft and full of concern.

Nicholas sauntered over to Sarah with a smug smile on his face. "What's the matter, Sarah?" he asked silkily, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her close to him in plain sight of Jareth. "Isn't this what you wanted?" he purred in her ear though it was audible to everyone in the ballroom.

"I didn't want this!" she hissed back at him, struggling vainly to get away.

"Oh, but you did, Sarah. You even _wished_ it."

Nicholas conjured in one hand a crystal from which Sarah's voice rang out: _I wish_ _the Goblin King would just…disappear._

"I…I didn't mean it. I didn't know. I—"

"What's said is said, Sarah," Nicholas sneered. "I thought you learned that lesson last year when you wished away your little brother."

Sarah was speechless and so upset she was beyond tears. Her eyes tried to see around Nicholas so she could see Jareth. Make him see that she would take it all back a thousand times over. Make him see that she couldn't bear to ever hurt him. Make him see that she…that she…

Nicholas took hold of Sarah and turned around so that they were both facing Jareth. There was nothing left to say; the prince was simply taunting the kneeling king. One hand remained on her hip while the other caressed her cheek. Yet his eyes never left his uncle's. The bravado was for him after all.

"Does it bother you, uncle, that your little champion here preferred me to you?" Jareth's expression remained cold and unchanging toward his nephew. So Nicholas tried harder; the hand stroking Sarah's cheek began to stroke her collarbone instead. She stiffened at his touch. "Does it bother you that your 'loving' sister won't even come before me now to defend you and your honor?" Jareth's face reddened not because of Nicholas' words but because his hand stroking Sarah's collarbone plunged lower on her chest.

"Don't you dare touch her!" he roared. His captors held him more tightly as he struggled against them for the first time.

"Oh, so that's what bothers you. When I do this," both hands cupped her satin-clad bosom. Angry tears streamed down Sarah's cheeks as she tried to free herself but he was much too strong for her. Meanwhile, Jareth roared again in fury as he fought against those who had him secured.

Nicholas laughed.

"Take them away," he said. "Oh, but make sure you take Sarah to my chamber. I'm not quite through with her yet." He winked in Jareth's direction. The sounds of outrage could be heard as they dragged him away. But they eventually just became an echo and then died away.

As Sarah was carried off in the opposite direction, she caught sight of Tatiana. From her expression it was plain to see that she had been there to witness it all—the swift coup, the taunting of her brother and the exploitation of her friend. Yet she stood by and let it happen. This more than anything else infuriated Sarah.

"The High King Maximus will be here shortly," said Nicholas, addressing those who remained in the ballroom. "You all know what needs to be done. Unless you wish to join my dear uncle in his fate, I suggest you do it."

* * *

Sarah stared out the window. The Labyrinth was visibly changing, preparing for what was to come.

Sarah breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. She too was preparing herself. Butterflies fluttered violently in her stomach. If she pulled this off it would be a miracle. But she couldn't afford to be pessimistic at this time. Now was the time to focus and remember the things she learned in her acting classes…

The door opened slowly and Nicholas entered the room. "Hello, _darling_."

Sarah turned and faced him. "Hello."

Nicholas began to stride towards her and opened his mouth to speak but Sarah cut him off. "Look. Before you say anything, I just want to apologize."

That stopped him dead in his tracks. "What?"

"When you asked me to help you, I just freaked out. I didn't pause to think about how the change would benefit the Underground, how it would benefit the Labyrinth, how it would benefit…us," she said taking his hands in hers. "I hope that the offer which you were implying still stands. I would like very much to be with you always…as your queen."

Nicholas' eyes went from to disbelief to mischievous. He said, "I'm not so sure. You seemed so thoroughly against it earlier. However, if you proved to me how much you wanted to be with me…well, I might consider believing you."

_That bastard._

Not two seconds passed before Sarah threw her arms around Nicholas' neck and pulled him to her. Her lips crushed against his as she entwined her hands in his hair. Nicholas moaned and pulled her even closer, not letting an inch of space between them anywhere. Her lips parted and she brushed her tongue along his lower lip, asking for entrance. He granted it to her and entangled his own tongue with hers.

Without breaking apart, Nicholas led Sarah to his bed which he roughly pushed her down onto and their passion continued. Sarah didn't stop him as his hands began to wander. She kissed him with as much force and enthusiasm as she could muster and he moaned more than once in response.

Their kiss seemed to be endless. When Nicholas finally pulled away, Sarah was gasping for air.

"I have to go," he said, still panting.

"What? No, no, don't go," she pleaded.

"I have to. My father will be arriving soon and there are some things that he and I need to take care of."

There was no question about what he meant when he said he needed to take care of some things. She already knew. Instead she asked, "Will I be meeting your father tonight then?"

"Not tonight, darling. It can wait until tomorrow. Besides, I'm not through with you yet. I'm still not entirely convinced of how badly you want me," he said with an impish grin.

"What would it take to convince you, my lord?" she asked as silkily as possible.

He pretended to think for a moment, then said, "When I return, we'll pick up where we left off. But…I want to see that gown that you're wearing on the floor by the time I get back."

"As you wish," she whispered in reply.

He covered her mouth with his one last time. "I'll be back."

"And I'll be waiting."

Nicholas climbed off of her and strode out of the room, closing the door behind him with a soft _click_.

Sarah sat up and wiped her mouth. "Ugh! That was _disgusting_!"


	15. Chapter 14

**Author Note: **I give you the conclusion to my first Labyrinth fanfiction, All's Fair in Love and War. Please Read and Review. As usual...I own nothing.

**Chapter 14 Vow**

The door to Nicholas' chamber creaked open again moments later. Sarah looked expectantly as the velvet clad woman slipped stealthily through the small crack. They both held their breath until the door was securely locked behind the newcomer. Then Sarah spoke.

"Did he buy it?"

Tatiana grimaced in disgust. "Oh, yeah. He bought it alright."

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. It hadn't been for nothing like she feared it would be. What she didn't understand was Tatiana's reaction. It had been _her_ idea after all…

_Literally minutes before Nicholas had come in to pay Sarah a little visit, Tatiana had been there to explain herself to her young, livid friend. It hadn't been easy for her to do, however. While attempting to offer an explanation, Tatiana had to dodge whatever projectiles Sarah's furious hands could find…_

"_Sarah…Sarah, if you would just listen to me for one bloody minute—would you quit throwing those books?!"_

"_No!"_

"_Sarah, just listen to me please!" pleaded Tatiana, dodging the mantel clock Sarah just threw._

"_Why should I believe a word you say to me? Huh?"_

"_Please, Sarah! I was only playing a part. Nicholas and Maximus needed to believe that I was siding with them on this one. As soon as I knew what those two were planning I knew it was the only way! In a game like this and players as powerful as them, the only hope we'd have at winning is by stealth. To attempt to defeat them with an outright attack would constitute as insanity! It was the only way I could save my baby brother. Please, believe me."_

_Sarah stopped chucking objects at Tatiana, only because there was nothing left to throw. Yet her anger had not ebbed. "So what? So you just stood by and watched as your brother's world came crumbling down and as I was _sexually exploited_ in front of the entire Fae court?!"_

"_Actually, it was only about half the Fae court," Tatiana replied sheepishly._

"_Oh, that's so comforting, Tatiana." Sarah's tone was marred by heavy sarcasm._

"_You're right! Okay? You're right. I could have at least stopped _that_. But I didn't want to risk exposure. Forgive me for wanting to save Jareth."_

"_You couldn't have mentioned any of this to me?" Sarah asked, her anger receding marginally. _

"_Well frankly, Sarah, I wasn't sure what your opinion of Jareth was. Up until tonight your attitude towards him has always been hot and cold." She had a point. Sarah sighed in defeat._

"_Fine. I believe you. What are we going to do now?" _

"_Well, it's going to be your turn to play the part, Sarah. Nicholas will be here in a few minutes."_

"_What do I do?" Sarah asked in a panic._

"_Considering his attitude towards you, I'd say you're going to have to feign attraction to him." Sarah looked torn between terror and disgust. "Relax. It will be fine. I can't be with you during this little charade but I will return as soon as he is gone. Okay?"_

_With that Tatiana disappeared, leaving Sarah befuddled and terrified. _

"I shouldn't have let you do that, Sarah," Tatiana sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose much like her younger brother.

"Why not? I mean it fooled him didn't it? Wasn't that the point?"

"Yes, but at what cost to you? I was a fool and didn't realize just how far Nicholas could have—_would have_ taken things. You're very lucky he stopped when he did."

Sarah's face flushed. "I'd rather not think about it. Can we please drop it?"

"Fine," Tatiana said with a wave of her hand. One moment Sarah was garbed in an elegant ball gown and the next she was in her street clothes, her hair smoothed out of their elaborate curls and jewels and pulled back simply with a small barrette. "There. You'll be able to find Jareth faster when you're not restricted by that showy gown.

"You're not coming with me?" asked Sarah, picking up on Tatiana's subtle tone.

"I'm afraid I can't. I still have my part to play." A little line of worry creased between Sarah's brows. "Fear not, Sarah. I have someone who will meet up with you to help you find him."

"Who?"

"A friend of yours," she answered with a smile.

Sarah smiled in return. Three guesses who it could be. "Where exactly are they keeping him, anyways? The Bog? An oubliette?"

"No, Sarah. They've taken him to a place of temporary holding: the dungeons underneath the castle."

"But why would they—"

"Listen, Sarah. Maximus is not fool enough to lock Jareth in an oubliette of his own design and as horrible as smelling like the Bog for all eternity would be that would mean he could still walk away from the experience. Sarah, Maximus intends to kill Jareth. And he means to do it himself which means we haven't much time."

Sarah blanched but collected herself quickly. "How do I even find him?" she asked.

"There is a passage not far from here. Only a select few people know about it, all of whom are loyal to Jareth. Keep left at all times while you're on it. It will lead you directly to the sect he's being held at."

"What about guards?"

"Nicholas has guards at every main entrance. But you won't even pass them. The dungeons are like a magic vacuum so the only way anyone would be able to escape would be pure brute force and since Jareth isn't exactly the brawniest Fae in the Underground, they're not too worried. But that means it's up to you."

Sarah's face turned exasperated. "Hello! I'm not exactly Wonder Woman here," she said, flexing her arms to make her point.

"Calm down. I have a key to help you out. It will unlock anything you need it to." Tatiana tossed a key with a mini crystal like Jareth's dangling from it. "Do _not_ under any circumstances loose that key, Sarah. It's Jareth's lifeline."

"Got it," she replied, tucking it away safely.

Tatiana opened the door and peered around it for a few seconds. "Okay, the coast is clear. Hurry!"

The two of them scurried out of the chamber and turned the corner into another hall. Along the walls there were a series of doors with knockers in the shapes of various creatures on them. Tatiana led her about a third of the way down the hall and stopped at the door with the knocking ring going through the beast's nostrils. Instead of rapping on the door with it, she tugged down. To Sarah's amazement the door began to sink into the floor like a car window being rolled down. Tatiana grinned briefly at Sarah.

"You need to get going…before it's too late," she said.

"Right," Sarah replied.

"Your friend will meet you about halfway. He'll lead you out again when you've found Jareth. Remember what I said about keeping left," Tatiana advised.

"Piece of cake," Sarah said, trying to sound confident.

Without warning Tatiana swept Sarah into a tight, protective embrace. "If anyone can do this, it's you, Sarah." Then just as abruptly, she let go and pushed Sarah through the opening. The door closed automatically behind her.

Darkness.

It took a few moments for Sarah's eyes to adjust to what little light she had to go by, but soon enough she was stumbling along the uneven path, her hand on the left wall to alert her of turns. Several times she wondered if she was too late and if she were, how would she know? But the mere thought of being too late scared her half to death and forced her to move at a run down the dark path with a single name on her mind, lips, and heart: _Jareth_.

Finally, she saw a light up ahead, about thirty yards away. She hurried towards the flickering light and recognized the silhouette of the creature waiting for her.

"Hoggle!" she cried with relief. The dwarf and the girl hugged for a moment. Then Sarah asked, "Where's Ludo and Didymus?"

"Jareth's sister helped them escape the Labyrinth along with some other creatures. She says it's not safe for us to be here. But then she told me the craziest thing, Sarah. She said that _you_ wanted to go save _Jareth_." Hoggle began to laugh.

"Yep, that's the plan."

Hoggle stopped.

"But, Sarah, you _hate_ Jareth. Why would you wanna go do a thing like that?"

"I don't hate him, Hoggle. I can't explain it. I just…I just…" _Love him._

Hoggle seemed to understand what she couldn't say. "Alright, alright. Let's get goin'," he grumbled. Sarah may have had a change of heart but Hoggle sure wasn't joining the Goblin King fan club anytime soon.

It was helpful having Hoggle's lantern but they moved much slower than Sarah would have liked. Neither spoke as the journeyed on—Hoggle because he was being cautious, Sarah because she was too anxious.

At last, they reached the tunnel's end.

"Jareth's cell is two to the right, in the corner," Hoggle whispered. "I'll wait for you right here."

"Thanks, Hoggle. You're a lifesaver."

"Sure thing, Sarah."

Sarah crept as quietly as she could into the dungeon. She was surprised at how deserted it was even though she had been warned that it would be. A lone figure could be seen, just off to her right, chained in a cell in the far corner. Her heart skipped a beat and her feet took off running in his direction. _Jareth_.

The Goblin King was seated on the dirty stone floor, his wrists hung from shackles on either side of his head which was bent down as if in defeat. But at the sound of Sarah's footsteps he looked up, his shaggy hair falling in his eyes. Sarah stopped just outside his cell door to retrieve the key and unlock it. As soon as she heard the tumblers click she flung the door open and rushed to his side. Her arms wound around his waist as tears of relief ran wordlessly down her cheeks.

Jareth looked down at Sarah still clutching on to him for dear life. He wished desperately to hold her in return, to look into her big, green eyes and let her know everything would be alright. As if she read his mind, she looked up. She took the key again and fit it into his shackles which released his arms which he in turn wrapped around her. For a moment they stayed like this, holding one another. After another moment, Sarah pulled away so she could see his face.

She put her hands on either side of his face. His upper lip looked swollen and bruised and he had a nasty cut on his forehead but otherwise he seemed to be fine. Ever so gently, she brushed his hair out of his eyes so she could see them more clearly. Jareth took a hand and brushed away the fresh tears that were trickling down her cheeks. Sarah caught the hand in both of hers and examined it. Slowly, she peeled off the glove covering it and looked at his bare hand.

His fingers were long and thin, agile some might say. His hand was warm to her cold fingers. Slowly she raised his palm to her lips where she placed the lightest of kisses on it.

"Sarah," Jareth murmured softly, stroking her cheek with his other hand. "Why are you here?" he asked gently for he was in just as much disbelief as Hoggle was that she was there.

Sarah looked back at him and snapped out of her moment. "Oh, my God. We gotta get you out of here," she said.

"We?" he asked as she helped him to his feet.

"Hoggle and I," she answered, taking his hand and leading him out of his cell. She didn't miss his wince of pain as he walked. "Are you alright?"

"My ankle seems to be the problem. I'd fix it myself but we'd have to get out of this dungeon first."

"Oh, let me help you," she said, taking his arm and placing it over her shoulder to support his weight.

He grinned to himself. _What's a little white lie?_ Jareth thought.

Together they hobbled towards the tunnel's entrance where Hoggle was waiting for them. "Well, took you long enough. We gotta go."

"Wait. Jareth's ankle," said Sarah.

"Oh, right," muttered Jareth. He conjured a crystal and pressed it to the side of his ankle. It disappeared instantly. "All better," he said with mock cheer. Hoggle rolled his eyes. "Well, lead the way, Higgle."

"It's Hoggle," the dwarf muttered as he headed back up the path. Behind him Jareth reached out and took Sarah's hand in his. She smiled up at him and he gave her hand a little squeeze.

As the trio walked, Hoggle in the lead with Jareth and Sarah hand in hand behind him, anxiety seemed to slowly lift. Sarah was beginning to believe that they were going to make it. Of course, that's when things would go horribly wrong.

One moment Sarah was on cloud nine and the next, she found herself surrounded by Nicholas' henchmen and Nicholas himself was blocking their only exit.

"Well, well, well. Where exactly do you three think you're going?" he asked them, his voice colder than ice.

"How did you—" Sarah began.

"Find you?" Nicholas finished. "Oh, I have my ways, darling Sarah, I have my ways. The point, however, is not how I found you but rather that you're not getting away. Oh, but don't worry, my dear. I'll put in a good word for you…it'll only cost you a kiss." He laughed cruelly and snapped his fingers. The trio was instantly bound, their hands clasped in resilient manacles in front of them. Their feet were clamped in similar shackles around the ankles. Instead of a dramatic dragging off, Nicholas simply snapped his fingers again and they were gone.

They reappeared in the throne room moments later. Jareth's brows furrowed in disgust. Nicholas had been redecorating. Banners the bore the emblem of Maximus were draped from the walls and statues of the Fae King and Queen could be seen every twenty or so feet. Sarah wasn't concentrating on that, however. On the opposite side of the room was Tatiana. Like them she was bound and gagged; her face betrayed the amount of pain she was in. She must have been caught in her deceit.

Nicholas paid no attention to his captives but instead focused his eyes expectantly on the clock on the far wall. It was one minute to thirteen o'clock. "Any second now," he murmured to himself. As soon as he spoke the words, the air in the throne room seemed to change in pressure and temperature. Through the windows Sarah could see a bolt of lightning strike the ground with an earth shattering crack. A gust of wind filled the room and knocked the air out of the occupants' lungs as the light of the wall torches extinguished. Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah saw Hoggle tremble like a chihuahua in a snow bank. She, however, was far from trembling at the feet of any tyrant. No, her spitfire spirit was flaring with a burning intensity inside her. She pitied the fool dumb enough to cross her at that moment.

A rumbling chime echoed through the room. Suddenly there was a new presence, one that demanded fear from anyone and everyone in sight. This was Maximus, High King of the Underground.

Tatiana's description of her older brother did not disappoint Sarah. He and Jareth could have been twins, their resemblance was so uncanny. Just like the Goblin King his eyes were mismatched, brown and blue. His hair had the same platinum sheen and hung in a wild disarray just passed his shoulders. And if Sarah thought that Jareth had a rather flamboyant taste in fashion, it was nothing compared to the gaudy ensemble Maximus was wearing. His collar was high about his neck, his cape billowed violently in the wind, his pants were (if it were at all possible) tighter than his younger brother's ever were, and the neckline of his shirt plunged below his navel, revealing his pale torso which was much burlier than Jareth's. Around his neck hung a crest of extraordinary size. In the center of the crest was a clear, black crystal surrounded by what looked like an abstract artist's rendition of the sun's rays. He gazed around the room with more than a hint of malice in his eyes.

Okay. Sarah was afraid.

"Hmph. This place is a bigger dump than I expected," the king muttered as he strutted about the room. "Really, who decorated this place anyways? Goblins?" His laugh was cold and spiteful. Maximus turned his attention to his little brother. "Awe, don't be so angry Jareth. I'm doing you a favor. Now you won't have to deal with the stress of ruling a band of morons all day. In fact, you won't have any stress at all when I through with you. I think you'll find yourself quite unfeeling." He threw his head back and laughed again at the sight of Jareth struggling against his bindings in anger.

Maximus' eyes flickered away from his brother to the shaking dwarf on his left. "Honestly, even those whom you have under your employment are lax, brother. I would have thought even _you_ would have higher standards than this poor excuse for a creature. But then again, you do rule goblins…" He kicked Hoggle so that he whimpered in pain and crumpled to the floor.

Sarah cried out in outrage and drew the Fae King's attention away from her friend. "Well, hello beautiful. I'll give you credit on this one, Jareth. She is a pretty, little thing…for a human." Sarah struggled against the unbreakable bonds that secured her in a fit of fury. Maximus grinned wickedly at her. "Feisty aren't you? I take it you're the little harlot who thought she could enchant my moronic brother and fool my son, aren't you? Well, you can take comfort in the fact that you succeeded in one of those activities," he sneered, "but my son is not as big a fool as you deluded yourself to believe. Still," he said thoughtfully, "I do see the allure. So young, so naïve, so…_innocent_." He purred the last word only inches from her face.

She spat in his face.

Rage boiled in Maximus' blood. _Nobody_ disrespected him like that. Nobody. He swung his hand through the air and met Sarah's cheek with a loud, hollow slap. She gasped, bewildered by the pain the slowly spread across her face.

"Anyone else care to test my patience?"

The Fae King looked around the vast hall, daring someone else to defy him. He was met with opposition in the eyes of his sister. Pure, unadulterated hatred seethed through her toward the man who was so determined to dismantle everything their parents had worked so hard to build. Maximus' answering glare would have sent chills down a polar bear's spine but he said nothing to his decidedly traitorous sister. He was confident in her fate. Which reminded him why he was there…

"I didn't think so," he said as if he had never stopped speaking. "And now for the main event. You will all have the honor of witness the destruction of Jareth, the 'great' Goblin King." Sarah's eyes widened in horror. She felt so utterly powerless…

During all this time, Nicholas had been sitting idly in Jareth's throne, grinning as his uncle's end rapidly came into view. No longer was his loathing borrowed hatred from his father but his own all consuming hatred for his uncle. Soon—he was sure—it would be all over for Jareth and Nicholas would reap the benefits.

"Any last words, Jareth?" sneered Maximus as he removed Jareth's bonds. He was going for the dramatic. Let his weakling brother _try_ to fight back. He was convinced Jareth didn't have a prayer.

Jareth's mind was for once in the same place as his brother's. He looked from his sister to Sarah and lingered on her face. What was going to happen to them when it was over for him? He knew he didn't have enough strength in him to save them all. But maybe…

"Not exactly," Jareth said coolly. "However…" He twisted his wrist and a crystal appeared in his hand. A tiny smile played on the corners of his mouth.

Maximus' eyes tightened in suspicion. "What the bloody hell is that?" He knew exactly what it was. What he meant to ask was 'what the bloody hell do you think you're doing?' but that would have given away the sudden fear he was feeling. Had he underestimated how much strength Jareth still possessed? He had been counting on a dramatic but easy victory.

"It's a crystal. Nothing more," Jareth replied nonchalantly. "But if you turn it this way and look into it…well, I'll let _Sarah_ show you."

Sarah stared at him in confusion. But Jareth didn't give her time to try to decipher what he meant. As soon as the words had left his lips the crystal was in the air and was now falling to the ground. Without thinking, Sarah lunged forward to catch it before it hit the floor. She fell to her knees yet still her clasped arms stretched out to seize the crystal. She held her breath as her fingers curled around the smooth, round surface. For about half a second she wondered what she was supposed to do now that she had the crystal in her hands. But she found she didn't have to do anything. It was taking care of everything.

The crystal began to glow in her hands. The light radiating from it was so intense that cracks began to form on its exterior. It shattered.

A jerking sensation gripped Sarah just below her navel, knocking the wind out of her. Enraged cries from Maximus and Nicholas filled the air as the stone floor beneath them began to shake violently. The walls were crumbling before their eyes. Tatiana must have registered what was happening because her face was calculating, waiting. Jareth was on his hands and knees, gasping for air as if he had just run a marathon.

It seemed to Sarah as if the colors of her surroundings were running. The sharp lines of the room were becoming fuzzy. The room, her enemies…her friends, were fading. Sarah struggled to cling to consciousness but to no avail. The last thing that Sarah saw was Jareth's mismatched eyes staring into hers as her world slowly went black.

* * *

Sarah woke up what felt like days later in a small bedroom that was vaguely familiar. _Her_ bedroom. Not a stony chamber with a luxurious bed but a modest bedroom with a twin sized bed. She blinked the sleep away from her eyes, trying to make sense of the images still floating around in her mind.

_What happened?_ Sarah wondered. _Where's Jareth?_

"Sarah, we're home. Are you there, sweetheart?" called a voice from downstairs. That's when reality sunk in.

_No, no, no, no! I was asleep the whole time? That was all just some crazy dream? No! It felt so real. It _had _to be real. Even I couldn't make that stuff up. Oh, God! It's not fair!_

Sarah beat her fists into her pillow and screamed in frustration. There was a soft knock on her door and then her father strode in. "You alright, Sarah?"

Sarah looked up at her dad and composed her face. "Yeah, Dad. I'm fine. Just had a really weird dream."

"Oh. Did you ever end up making plans with your friends?" he asked without really looking at her.

"No. I wasn't really in the mood to hang out with anyone. Besides, Jenny had a date so…" she trailed off.

"I see. What happened to your cheek?" her father asked, really taking a look at his daughter for the first time since he and Irene went out earlier.

"My cheek?" she asked, confused. She lightly touched her cheekbone with her fingers and was shocked to find it was tender. She crossed the room and examined it in the mirror. A bruise was forming across her face with a vague impression of a man's hand. "Oh!"

"Sarah?" Now her father was concerned.

Sarah turned back to face her dad. Her features were arranged in a calm, assuring expression. "I tripped on the stairs and hit my cheek against the banister. I guess I didn't think it was going to bruise," she lied smoothly. In truth she felt it was a lousy lie but her father didn't seem to suspect her fib.

"Do you want some ice or pain killers?" he asked, his brows furrowing out of anxiety.

"I'm fine, Dad. Really. I'll take care of it later." She smiled with false warmth while her thoughts were calculating. Her father nodded and left her to her speculations.

Sarah stared at herself in the mirror. On the one hand, she had read about people who've had such intense dreams that their bodies have actually been physically affected—cat scratches or inexplicable marks on their skin. But this wasn't the conclusion she wanted. She wanted to know that it had all happened. That it was not just an overactive imagination at work again. She had to believe that _he_ was still out there somewhere.

She glared around the room, searching for some shred of evidence to this conclusion. At first she found nothing. Her eyes glanced over everything and nothing seemed out of place in the perfectly ordinary room. But then as she glanced at her bed something caught her eye. A trick of the light, she thought. But she went over regardless to examine it, to confirm her thoughts.

She knelt down beside her bed and picked up the tiny object. She turned it over and over in her hand, struggling to believe her eyes. It was a key. A very special key. One that had a tiny crystal orb hanging from the key's head.

"It was real!" she whispered in hushed fervor. She had returned to the Underground. It wasn't a dream. She had seen Hoggle, Ludo, and Didymus. She had seen the labyrinth's winding walls and had stood in the castle beyond the Goblin City again. She had cowered in the presence of a man who was no mere mortal and had the power to grant dreams and steal hearts. It had all happened. Her heart swelled with hope.

Just as soon as the hope rose, it was squashed.

If all the good things had happened then that must have meant the bad things did too. The key in her hand was proof of that. But then what had happened to everyone? The cruel King Maximus and his deceitful son, Nicholas? All her friends? Tatiana? And most importantly…Jareth? What happened to them?

Sarah thought of a way that she could find out, though, it seemed even to her to be a stretch if all of that had truly happened. She shut her eyes and squeezed the key in her hand. Her lips moved almost soundlessly. No human ears would have been able to hear her plea. But a skilled lip-reader could have told you exactly what she said even though it would have made no sense to them or anyone else. They would have said that she wished the Goblin King would take her away…right now.

Sarah's eyes fluttered open. She gazed around her room searching, waiting. The minutes passed and still nothing happened. She hung her head. Disappointment washed over her but she wasn't surprised. The fact that no one came confirmed any doubt left. Disappointment was replaced by worry.

She crossed the room in three, long strides over to her window. She opened it and peered out into the night. She searched the skies, the roofs, the tree tops ardently until the cool night air sent chills through her body. She nodded to herself. This she suspected too. But still, she wished.

"Goblin King," she whispered, "I know you're out there somewhere. I promise you, I will find a way back to you again. If it's the last thing I do, I swear it. I will find you. This is my solemn vow."

**I want to say thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through this story. Sorry about the cliff hanger. I promise that I will resolve this in the sequel. This just seemed like a good place for me to break. I also want to dedicate this story to Wonderhell who convinced me to write this in the first place. Thanks girlie!! That's all for me for a while. Please keep an eye out for Fair Is Foul and Foul Is Fair!**

**love,**

**luvnote4u 3**


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